Smoking after Oral Surgery

The Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania don’t need to lecture you on why you shouldn’t smoke, as you are probably already aware of the consequences. Smoking after an oral surgery procedure, however, is a definite restriction. Having a tooth removed is already an unpleasant experience and smoking will only aggravate the healing process.

If you have to smoke, we ask that you please try to wait as long as possible after your procedure to do so. Smoking can interfere with the healing process and the sucking motion can dislodge blood clots that are forming as part of this process. As a result, dry sockets will form and a dry socket is associated with intense pain around the extraction site. Lighting up a cigarette is not worth the complications.

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. 

Avoiding Oral Infection

Any kind of surgical procedure carries the risk of infection, but by following the post-operative instructions that you will receive from the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, you should have a smooth recovery and no complications at all. Preventing an oral infection after a surgical procedure is critical to the healing process. Successfully doing so will keep you out of the dental chair.

If a patient undergoes tooth extraction, he or she will not be able to brush, rinse, spit, or use mouthwash for 24 hours after the procedure. To avoid infection, it’s necessary to keep the mouth as clean as possible. The next day, rinse every two hours with salt water and be careful about irritating the extraction site. Additionally, avoid foods that irritate the wound and take medication as directed.

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

A bone graft procedure is done to replace missing bone in a patients mouth.  The doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania use a bone graft to strengthen jaw bones in preparation for dental implants.

Missing a tooth for an extended period of time can leave the jaw bone vulnerable and compromise its structure.  When a patient needs an implant for a permanent replacement tooth, a bone graft reinforces the jaw bone so it is strong enough to handle the placement of an implant. 

In our practice, we use a processed bone grafting material and graft to the compromised area of the jaw bone.  This strengthens the weakened bone, and encourages growth of new bone material as it heals.  After the procedure, the bone graft will be monitored over the course of months.  When the jaw bone has strengthened enough to handle the placement of an implant, our doctors can move forward with the patient’s plan of care.

To learn more about bone grafting 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.

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.

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.

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.

 

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.