Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Frenectomy

A frenulum is a small fold or ridge of tissue that either supports or prevents the motion of the tissue to which it is attached. In the mouth, there are two frenulums: the one that connects the upper lip to the gums above your two front teeth and the one that connects the tongue to the base of your mouth. If a frenulum is too short or thick, it can cause speech impediments and gaps between teeth, so corrective action is necessary to resolve the situation. At Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, our experienced team of doctors performs frenectomies to resolve frenulums that have cause problems in his patients’ mouths.


A frenectomy is a safe and effective surgical procedure that removes the fold of skin if it is disrupting movement, growth or development. A  typical frenectomy takes less than 15 minutes.


If your frenulum is causing problems for your smile, a frenectomy can solve them. Schedule an appointment at one of Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania’s locations in the Philadelphia, PA area by visiting www.oralsurgerypa.com

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Oral Pathology

Here at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, we provide oral pathology procedures. If your doctor finds any suspicious bumps, lumps, or spots on the lips, gums, inside the cheeks or on the tongue, they will perform more tests through oral pathology. Your doctor will inspect your nose, mouth and throat. 


Before beginning oral pathology, we look for common signs and symptoms of oral cancer, such as the following:


 



  • Sores in the mouth or gums that bleed and don’t heal

  • Red or white patches in the mouth

  • Chronic sore throat or hoarseness of the throat

  • Difficulty with chewing or swallowing

  • Thickening or lumps of the skin inside the mouth


 


During oral pathology, a biopsy may be needed. We remove a very small piece of tissue in the mouth and run it through a series of tests. The tissue is removed under anesthesia so no pain is experienced. At the laboratory, a pathologist looks for signs of cancer cells, which can take about two weeks to complete. If results are positive for oral cancer, we consult the patient about their next steps.


We push our patients to be diligent about their oral health, even encouraging them to perform self-examinations at home. If you feel that you might need an oral pathology consultation, please visit our website www.oralsurgerypa.com to schedule an appointment.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Teeth Extractions

If decay has reached too deeply into one of your teeth or if an infection has damaged too much of the bone or tissue supporting a tooth, you will be in need of a tooth extraction. At Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, our experienced team of doctors can help you restore your oral health by performing a tooth extraction.


Before the procedure is performed, a local anesthetic is used to numb the area around the extraction site. During a simple extraction, the tooth is loosened with an elevator and then extracted with forceps. Once removed, your doctor may choose to smooth and contour the underlying bone. Then the gums are sutured.


After the extraction, it is critical to keep the area clean to prevent infection. Dry, sterile gauze will be placed over the gums to limit bleeding. You must make sure to keep it in place for 30 to 45 minutes while the blood clots. During the 24 hours after the procedure, you should not smoke, rinse your mouth vigorously or clean the teeth immediately adjacent to the extraction site. Strenuous activity, hot liquids and straw drinking should also be avoided. A certain amount of pain and discomfort accompanies an extraction, so a painkiller may be prescribed.


If you are suffering pain from decay, infection or impaction, contact us here at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania so our team can help determine if a tooth extraction is required to save your smile. 

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Dental Implants Provide a Permanent Tooth Replacement Option

Having a missing tooth is a frustrating experience, but here at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, we offer a permanent replacement with dental implants. As opposed to bridges or partials that need to be replaced every 10-15 years, dental implants have a titanium post installed right into the jaw bone. During the healing process, the bone heals around the post, which holds it firmly in place. The crown on top is the only thing that needs to be replaced, which is a very simple process.


The benefits our patients experience when getting dental implants in Philadelphia, PA include:




  • Permanent tooth replacement

  • Improved smile and overall appearance

  • Better comfort than partials or bridges

  • Crown that matches the patient’s other teeth

  • Improved speed and eating

  • Better self-esteem and confidence



The entire process of dental implants takes 3-6 months, with most of this time being the healing time for the post. After that point, a crown is made to fit over the top of the post, and the implant is complete.


New patients are encouraged to visit our website www.oralsurgerypa.com to learn more about our various services and locations. 

Friday, April 3, 2015

Wisdom Teeth Extractions

While many patients do not experience problems with their wisdom teeth when they begin to emerge between the ages of 17 and 25, many others find that theirs must be removed. Wisdom teeth are usually removed because they become impacted, which means that the tooth does not have enough room to come in straight through the gums and instead emerges at an angle. This can cause pain, damage to the jaw and a more crooked smile due to crowding. Additionally, the site of impaction can become a bacterial hotspot since impacted wisdom teeth are hard to clean.


If your mouth does not have enough room for your wisdom teeth to come in, a wisdom tooth extraction is necessary, and at our teams at our offices throughout the Philadelphia, PA area can determine whether a wisdom tooth extraction is the best course of action for you.


Wisdom teeth extractions can range from removing a single tooth to removing all four teeth at once. Your doctor at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania will let you know what they think is best for you. For the procedure, your doctor will use either a local anesthetic to numb the area or a general anesthetic to sedate you while the teeth are extracted. The tooth will then be accessed through an incision in the gums and wiggled until it is loose enough to be lifted out. If the tooth is too deeply embedded to be removed this way, it will be broken up into pieces before being removed.


Whether you are already feeling pain due to impacted wisdom teeth or have not yet felt them come in, we can determine if your wisdom teeth will cause problems for you. To schedule an appointment with us at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, visit our website www.oralsurgerypa.com