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. 

What Is An Apicoectomy?

The doctors of Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania perform many root canals to save and repair teeth that are badly damaged or infected.  During a root canal a dentist removes any inflamed or infected tissue, and thoroughly cleans the root canal system. In about 90% of cases, the tooth heals and doesn’t require further treatment. When an infection won’t go away or the canals become re-infected after root canal treatment, our doctors can perform an apicoectomy.

An apicoectomy is also called a root-end resection and is performed to remove damaged tissue and seal a tooth’s root from any further infections.  The procedure involves a small incision in the gums, followed by removal of any infected tissue and finally the end of the root tip itself.  A root-end filling is placed there to act as a seal, preventing reinfection. The gum is sutured, and most patients only feel slight discomfort or swelling during healing.  If you have a tooth infection lingering after a root canal gone wrong, please contact us to discuss your treatment options.

To learn more about the apicoectomy procedure and all the services we offer, 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.

Chewing Gum For Dental Health

The doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania encourage patients to take care of their oral health in their daily lives.  Even when you brush and floss regularly, chewing sugar-free gum is a great way to freshen your breath and your smile throughout the day. When you picture chewing gum, you may think of kids chewing extra sweet bubble gum blowing and popping bubbles.  But adults can chew and enjoy gum too! 

Chewing sugar-free gum soon after eating is a great way to clean up between brushings.  Choose a gum that is sugar-free or look for one sweetened with xylitol.  Xylitol is a natural sweetener that can also help prevent tooth decay.  Chewing gum for about twenty minutes soon after eating will encourage production of more saliva to neutralize acid and wash it away from the teeth.  The only way chewing gum may be harmful is if you have jaw pain or temporomandibular disorder symptoms, because excess chewing can agitate that issue. Sugar-free gum is still an easy thing to carry along, and a great way to care for your smile.

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.

Peri-Implantitis

Implants are a highly effective means of replacing lost teeth. At the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania in the Philadelphia area, we regularly see patients through the entire process of implant placement, osseointegration, and crown placement. But like natural teeth, implants need to be cared for, or else patients run the risk of developing inflammation or peri-implantitis.

The gum pockets are great places for bacteria to hide. As they feed, they produce acid that gets stuck to plaque, resulting in decay. But bacteria also inhabit the gum pockets of teeth that have been replaced by prosthetics and may cause inflammation there, as well. As with natural teeth, infected gums will swell and bleed, and prolonged exposure to acid can erode the metal implant post.

At its worst, peri-implantitis can dissolve the bone holding implants in place. This outcome is particularly unfortunate because an implant needs to be removed if it becomes mobile or more than 10% of the surrounding jaw tissue is lost in the first year after placement. However, if the infection can be caught in time and reversed, implants can stimulate the production of new jaw bone growth.

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

 

Consequences of Dry Mouth

Dry mouth (xerostomia) can be one of the most insidious oral health problems. It increases the likelihood of oral infections and can disrupt a patient’s sleep and comfort. At the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, we want our patients to understand the consequences of this condition and what can be done about it.

Saliva helps to control oral infections in two ways. It washes away food debris, depriving fungus and acid-producing bacteria of nutrients. It also maintains the pH level of the mouth, neutralizing acids. In the absence of saliva, patients are more vulnerable to developing bad breath and may have trouble tasting food and swallowing.

There are several potential causes of dry mouth, including an autoimmune disorder and diabetes. It is also a common medication side effect, particularly in cancer and psychiatric medications. Dry mouth presents a particular challenge to people undergoing dental extractions, who may be put at risk of developing a dry socket. There are several over-the-counter throat moisturizers that can help, as can stimulating saliva by chewing sugar-free gum. But if the problem persists, we can prescribe stronger rinses that mimic the effect of saliva.

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