Frenectomy

A frenectomy is a surgical procedure that removes or loosens the band of muscle tissue that is connected to the lip, cheek or floor of the mouth. Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania perform this procedure right in the office. A frenum that is too short or thick, will cause problems in speech patterns and tooth misalignment. In infants, a shortened frenum underneath the tongue will inhibit breastfeeding.

Before recommending a frenectomy, one of our doctors will consider several factors. One factor is whether the condition is likely to fix itself eventually without surgery. However, if a newborn baby is having difficulty feeding because of this condition, also known as “tongue tie,” then a frenectomy is needed. When the frenulum disrupts movement, growth, or development, corrective action is necessary to resolve the situation. If you or your child needs a frenectomy, the procedure is very successful and causes minimal discomfort.

If you have questions or concerns regarding oral surgery or appointment scheduling, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our 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. 

Smoking And Oral Surgery

Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania are dedicated to encouraging patients to make the best decisions for their oral health.  We care for patient’s teeth and perform many procedures on patients with various grades of oral health.  Many patients are still smokers, and despite all the known health risks, it is a notoriously tough habit to break.  We have seen patients at every stage of quitting smoking when they need a dental procedure.  Even if you can’t quit just yet, it is important to abstain from smoking after a tooth extraction or procedure on the gums.

We want you to abstain from smoking after oral surgery as long as you can, but we recommend waiting at least five days for your safety.  The sucking action used to inhale a cigarette can dislodge a blood clot at the surgery site, which we would then call a dry socket.  A dry socket is a serious risk for infection and can cause intense pain.  Smoking also causes blood vessels to shrink, so they deliver less oxygen and fewer nutrients to the wound area and it slows the healing process.  We want you to quit cigarettes for good, but after oral surgery you must wait for your safety!

To learn more about oral health and all 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.

What Is TMD?

The temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects your jaw bone (mandible) to the temporal bones in your skull, in front of each ear.  A general term for any problem or issue with this joint is temporomandibular disorder, or TMD. The doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania can help patients prevent and recover from negative effects of TMD.

Patients that grind or clench their teeth often end up with a sore jaw.  Other patients experience injuries with facial trauma that cause jaw pain, or result in the patient feeling their jaw gets stuck or ‘locks’ in either an open or closed position.  A custom night guard keeps the jaw in a neutral position during sleep, and this helps many patients find relief from TMD symptoms.  For any pain, your dentist may recommend an over-the-counter painkiller or warm and cold compresses.  To prevent further discomfort, you may be assigned stretches for your jaw. 

Whatever your symptoms, you don’t have to suffer with discomfort in your jaw.  To learn more about TMD and the services provided 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.

Tooth Extraction Expectations

At Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, one of our doctors may recommend wisdom teeth extraction when they become bothersome. Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that patients develop in their late teens or early twenties. These teeth can become misaligned, and when that happens they can crowd or damage adjacent teeth, the jawbone, or nerves. Additionally, if they are impacted (enclosed in the gum tissue) they can cause pain, swelling, and even an infection if left untreated. The idea of oral surgery is scary enough, but fortunately, our doctors will make you feel as comfortable as possible.  

To prepare you for the extraction procedure, our doctors may perform the following:

• Expose the bone and tooth by making an incision in your gum tissue


• Remove bone that's blocking tooth root access


• Break your tooth into sections to make removing the pieces easier


• Remove the tooth completely


• Clean out tooth or bone debris once the tooth is removed


• Stitch up your wound site if necessary to promote healing


• Control bleeding by placing gauze over the extraction site

If you have questions or concerns regarding oral surgery or appointment scheduling, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our 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. 

Bone Grafting for Dental Implants

If you are considering implants, you must have healthy gums and sufficient bone to support the implant. Also known as regenerative surgery, a bone graft is used to recreate bone and soft supporting tissues that are destroyed during gum disease. At Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, bone grafting is a common procedure that is used frequently for dental implants and other periodontal procedures.

If a patient’s jawbone isn’t thick enough or is too soft, bone grafting may be required before they can have dental implant surgery. This is because the powerful chewing action of the mouth exerts great pressure on the bone, and if it can’t support the implant, the surgery will likely fail. With bone grafting, a piece of bone is removed from another part of the patient’s mouth.  In some cases, they might only need minor bone grafting, which can be done at the same time as the dental implant surgery.

If you have questions or concerns regarding oral surgery or appointment scheduling, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our 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.