Oral Surgery
Did you know that tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body? Despite the strength of teeth and gums, serious dental problems such as tooth decay, misalignment, and gum disease can threaten your smile. Soon, patients may develop infection or other dental complications. Oral surgery may be necessary to return your smile to full function and appearance.
Procedures Requiring Oral Surgery
Advanced tooth decay and gum disease, also known as periodontitis, may cause a tooth to become abscessed, or infected. When this occurs, the tooth could die and the infection spread to surrounding teeth. In order to preserve your smile, oral surgery may be necessary. Root canal therapy allows Dr. Duran to remove infected tissue. If the tooth can’t be saved with root canal therapy, then extraction may be necessary.
The first phase of the dental implant procedure, called implantation, will also require the surgical insertion of implants into the socket of a missing tooth. Dr. Duran has extensive training and education in the surgical placement of dental implants.
Protect Your Smile
In some cases, patients may need to undergo oral surgery due to hereditary dental disorders. In most cases, however, simple preventive measures may help patients avoid the need for oral surgery. Routine checkups and cleanings allow Dr. Duran to watch for any signs of developing dental issues and provide appropriate treatment. Early detection helps prevent the need for costly and invasive procedures down the road. In addition, maintaining good dental habits, such as brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once, also help prevent the decay and periodontitis that requires oral surgery, and potentially, tooth extraction.
A Closer Look at Extractions
Often, maintaining good dental health involves the removal of a tooth. Misalignment, gum disease, tooth decay, and trauma issues all may require the extraction of a tooth. In addition, a dentist may choose to extract a tooth prior to orthodontic therapy to make room for the movement of the remaining teeth.
The most common reason for a dental extraction is simple tooth decay. When a patient develops a cavity, bacteria cause the decay to spread. Once the bacteria reach the pulp, the tooth may become infected. The pulp acts as the nerve center of the tooth, supervising the flow of blood and nutrients to and from the tooth. Once the pulp becomes infected, the tooth may die. In addition, the infection may spread to the surrounding the teeth, threatening the stability of your smile.
Symptoms of Dental Infection
How do you know if you are experiencing a dental infection? Common symptoms of an abscessed tooth include:
- Toothaches
- Tooth sensitivity to hot or cold temperature
- Swelling around the tooth
- Foul tasting discharge
- Bad breath
- Difficulty biting down or chewing
Preventive Dental Services in Park Ridge
To help our patients enjoy an optimal level of oral health, free of disease and discomfort, the team at Daniel A. Duran DDS, PA, offers the following preventive services:
- Checkups & Cleanings
- At-Home Dental Care
- TMJ & Bruxism Treatment
- Gum Disease Treatment
Extracting a Tooth
Unfortunately, in some cases, root canal therapy may be unable to save your tooth. When this occurs, you may need to undergo minor oral surgery to safely extract the tooth. The comfort and wellbeing of our patients is paramount. As a result, Dr. Duran follows strict safety protocols.
Restoring Your Smile
Just because your tooth has been extracted, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a whole smile again. Dr. Duran provides an array of innovative procedures for replacing missing teeth, including:
- Dental bridges
- Dental implants
- Dentures
Why would I need to pull a tooth?
Wisdom teeth and regular teeth require extraction for many different reasons but preservation and restoration is our goal. Sometimes it becomes necessary to remove a tooth due to tooth fracture, failure of an existing restoration, advanced gum disease or orthodontic reasons.
Our office is equipped to handle your wisdom tooth extraction treatment comfortably. The wisdom tooth extraction procedure is necessary because of angled teeth or roots, wisdom tooth infections, or decay.
What should I expect during my tooth extraction?
You should expect to meet with Dr. Duran to discuss treatment options and go over the treatment plan. If extraction is required, the treatment will be done immediately or the appointment will be made for a convenient time. The dentist will meet with you to discuss your anesthetic and sedation options. We offer dental sedation and Nitrous Oxide Sedation to make you comfortable. Dr. Duran also uses a sedation medication that decreases anxiety. Outmost care is given to make this treatment as comfortable as possible, with the minimum discomfort and maximum empathy and understanding.
You should expect some bleeding, oozing, and minor discomfort after treatment. All necessary prescriptions including pain medication and antibiotics will be given to you at your dental extractions.
What are my options to replace a missing tooth?
Dr. Duran can replace your missing teeth with a variety of options. The main ways to replace a missing tooth is by Dental Implant, Dental Bridge or Partial Denture. Dr. Duran is an expert at all of these types of teeth replacement. Ask Dr. Duran to go into more detail at your extraction appointment.
The gum may be sutured in some cases. The sutures may be resorbable or non-resorbable. Post operative instructions will be given to you regarding home care, pain relief, healing and hygiene.