Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Why Are Wisdom Teeth Removed?

Everyone has a set of wisdom teeth behind their visible molars, but this set of ‘final molars’ often stays impacted.  Some patients experience these teeth beginning to erupt, usually between the ages of 17 and 24.  Even when that happens, there is not enough space in the mouth for these wisdom teeth to grow, which is why the doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania typically recommend extraction. 


Keeping wisdom teeth too long can cause oral discomfort, headaches, damage the surrounding teeth and put a patient at risk for infection. If you experience swollen or tender gums around the wisdom teeth, jaw pain, or facial swelling, give us a call. We can determine if you need your wisdom teeth removed, and discuss sedation options and procedure with you.  The procedure will include stitches and some down time, but following instructions, a patient’s recovery shouldn’t take more than a week.


To learn more about your wisdom teeth and all the services we provide at the practice, visit www.oralsurgerypa.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania located in Philadelphia, call 215-463-4141.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Preparing for Oral Surgery

Knowing what to expect before your oral surgery procedure with the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, can ease your anxiety and effectively guide you through an easy recovery. If you have any questions or concerns before the procedure, don’t hesitate to call us. We will provide as much information as possible to make you calm and comfortable.


The night before your procedure, confirm your transportation arrangements. For those patients going under general anesthesia, you will need to have a friend or family member accompany you to your appointment so that they are able to drive you home once the surgery is complete. In addition, you will be required to fast before oral surgery. It is required to stop consuming food and beverages eight  hours before your appointment.  


If you have questions or concerns about oral surgery, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide, visit www.oralsurgerypa.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania located in Philadelphia, call 215-463-4141.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Sectioning Teeth

When tooth extractions are difficult, patients come to the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania. There are many reasons why a tooth may need to be extracted, but when it is impacted or has very large, curved roots, a more complicated extraction process may be necessary. Those extractions often require the tooth to be sectioned.


Sectioning a tooth means splitting it up and removing the individual pieces. This requires less force than trying to pull the entire thing out at once and is less likely to hurt the jaw bone. Often, this is done during wisdom tooth extractions. While drawings of molars conventionally represent them as having two roots, the upper ones often have three and can be tricky to pull, especially when they are at an angle. By drilling them into pieces and pulling out each section, we eliminate the need to twist them around, lessening the chance that a root will break off. This also means there are fewer ligaments anchoring each section. Sectioning a tooth does not make the extraction process painful for patients; they are kept numb and a steady stream of water prevents the drill from overheating.


Drs. Bahram,Richman, Mohan and Dieu operate at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania at 2546 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19145. To schedule an appointment, call 215-463-4141 or visit Oral Surgery PA and fill out a contact sheet.


 

Friday, March 2, 2018

Coronectomies

We provide wisdom tooth extractions at the offices of the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania in the Philly area, but there are times when an alternative is necessary. When wisdom teeth are impacted, their large crowns need to be removed because they threaten to push the other teeth out of alignment and because partially-erupted crowns pose a risk for oral hygiene. However, there are times when the crown is the only part of the tooth that needs to be removed.


Wisdom teeth are located close to the inferior alveolar nerve, which controls feelings in the chin and lower lip. They are also near the lingual nerve, which controls the tongue. If the teeth are at a very strange angle, the roots may be so close to these nerves that removing them would pose an unacceptable risk of damage to the nerves. In these cases, our doctors will cut back a flap of gum tissue and drill off the exposed crown. The roots would then be sealed and smoothed, and the gum flap sutured. This process is less strenuous on the patient than a complicated extraction. It is usually done on patients who are old enough to have fully developed tooth roots. Should the roots erupt later, they will be far enough from the nerves to be extracted safely.


The Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA or call 215-463-4141.