Placing Dental Implants

If you are missing teeth as a result of injury, tooth decay, or gum disease, then you are likely a good candidate for dental implants. However, you must have enough bone in your jaw to allow an implant to be placed in the jawbone, and implants are not recommended for smokers, people with autoimmune diseases, people who have radiation therapy, and people with uncontrolled diabetes. This is why it’s important for our doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania to examine you and determine if you are suitable to get implants before they are placed.

The entire implant process is placed over the course of a few months. The first part of the process involves installing the implant itself, where a screw is placed into the jaw bone. In most cases, placing a single dental implant requires less than an hour, but of course, this depends on how many you need. After the implant is placed in your jaw, you will have to wait several months for the surrounding bone to bond with the implant. After the implant has healed, it is time to place an abutment on the implant. The abutment serves as the base for your new tooth. Once the implant process is complete, you will have a restored smile that will look and feel like your real teeth.

If you think you may benefit from dental implants, 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. 

Apicoectomy after Root Canal

A root canal is a treatment that is used to repair and save a badly damaged or infected tooth. During root canal treatment, your dentist cleans the canals using special instruments called files to remove inflamed or infected tissue. When an infection develops or won’t go away after root canal treatment or retreatment, one of our doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania may need to perform an apicoectomy.

Root canals may become re-infected for a variety of reasons. These include new or recurrent decay, previously undetected accessory (extra) canals branching from the primary canal at the root end of the tooth, and occasionally, calcification of canals. An apicoectomy is done only after a tooth has had at least one root canal procedure and retreatment has not been successful. It is a minor surgical procedure in which the very tip of the tooth’s root is removed and sealed.

If you have a tooth infection related to a root canal gone wrong, give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visitwww.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. 

Let Us Explain, Novocain

When you think of oral surgery, our doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania are almost certain that you’re wondering about your sedation options. Depending on the procedure at hand, you will either be given a local or general anesthetic. Local anesthesia allows the patient to remain awake, while general anesthesia allows the patient to sleep. If you are told you’ll be receiving a local anesthetic, “Novocain” probably comes to mind. Novocain is commonly used to suppress pain in patients who remain conscious. During your consultation, our doctors will determine if Novocain is appropriate for your treatment plan as well as if it is the best option for you.

Novocain is normally injected into an area during oral surgery and other dental procedures to numb the surrounding tissues. Like any medication, however, side effects include numbness around the injection site that can last for several hours, a tingling sensation around the injection site, as well as minor swelling around or near the injection site. Novocain is a good option for some, but not for others. Be sure to provide us with as much information about your medical history as possible so that you and our doctors can make an informed decision.

If you would like to discuss sedation options, 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. 

Oral Biopsy

The most common symptoms of oral cancer are lumps or bumps, rough spots, crusts, or eroded areas on the lips, gums, or other areas inside the mouth. Persistent sores on the face, neck, or mouth that bleed easily and do not heal are other common characteristics. If you have symptoms that suggest oral cancer, our doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania may recommend an oral biopsy.  

If your dentist or doctor thinks a particular area of your mouth looks suspicious, having an oral biopsy is the only way to confirm that oral cancer is a concern. At Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, this procedure involves little discomfort and can be completed in no time. To perform a biopsy, one of our doctors will remove a small bit of the suspicious area. Then, a pathologist will examine the removed cells to check for cancer. It may take two weeks to receive results, but once the test results come back, we will be able to determine whether or not the patient has cancer, if so, what type it is, and we will be able to develop the best treatment plan.

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. 

Sinus Augmentation Details

If you are considering dental implants, you must have healthy gums and adequate bone to support the implant. If there is not enough bone height in the upper jaw or the sinuses are too close to the jaw, you may require a sinus lift. Here at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, we perform this simple procedure under certain conditions. Sinus augmentation procedures are highly predictable with studies reporting over 95% success.

A sinus augmentation increases the height of your upper jaw by filling part of your maxillary sinus with bone. When possible, the bone remaining under the sinus floor is gently “pushed up,” thus lifting the floor of the “dropped sinus.” Bone replacement materials are then placed beneath the lifted bone. The maxillary sinus is the area above your jaw on either side of your nose above the back teeth. This procedure is done when the back part of the upper jaw does not have enough bone to allow dental implants to be placed. Following sufficient healing of a sinus augmentation (6-10 months), implants are placed in a predictable and successful manner. 

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. 

Wisdom Teeth Function

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. During this “age of wisdom” phase, sometimes teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth when healthy and properly aligned, but more often they are misaligned and require removal. Some might think of wisdom teeth as spare tires, because if you lost your teeth, the wisdom teeth would be extra teeth that come in and function like normal teeth. Here at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, our doctors can perform extractions depending on their position and stage of development.

So why do we have them? Anthropologists believe wisdom teeth or the third set of molars, were the evolutionary answer to our ancestor’s early diet of coarse, rough food – like leaves, roots, nuts, and meats – which required more chewing power and resulted in excessive wear of the teeth. The modern diet with its softer foods, along with marvels of modern technologies such as forks, spoons, and knives, has made the need for wisdom teeth nonexistent; however, they don’t always need to be removed.

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. 

Dental Implant Advantages

Having missing teeth can be embarrassing, and if left untreated, will only get worse. This is why the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania offer dental implants to their patients. Dental implants provide a more natural tooth replacement because they are artificial teeth that are attached directly to the jawbone. Other options can lead to bone deterioration, and may interfere with eating, smiling, speaking and other daily activities.

Dental implants are the closest you can get to natural and healthy teeth. They allow you to confidently eat, laugh, talk, play and enjoy all of your daily activities without being self-conscious about your smile. A face without teeth can sag and make you appear older than your actual age, but dental implants allow you to maintain the natural shape of your face. While dental implants may need periodic adjustments, they can last a lifetime when properly placed and cared for over time. Dental implant treatment has a track record of reliable, long-term successful outcomes and is often considered a more durable option than other treatments to repair or replace missing teeth.

If you are missing teeth and would like to discuss your tooth-replacement options, 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.