OUR PROCEDURES

Dental Implants: Dental implants are changing the way people live. They are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything, knowing that teeth appear natural and that facial contours will be preserved. Patients with dental implants can smile with confidence.

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The implants themselves are small titanium posts that are surgically placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. These metal anchors act as tooth root substitutes. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth. These posts provide stable anchors for artificial replacement teeth. Implants also help preserve facial structure, preventing bone deterioration that occurs when teeth are missing.

 

For most patients, the placement of dental implants involves two surgical procedures. First, implants are placed within the jawbones.  After the implant has bonded to the jawbone, the second phase begins. The doctor will uncover the implants and attach small posts that protrude through the gums and will act as anchors for the artificial teeth. When the artificial teeth are placed, these posts will not be seen. Most patients experience minimal disruption in their daily life.

 

Implants are a team effort between an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and a restorative dentist. While the doctor performs the actual implant surgery, initial tooth extractions, and bone grafting if necessary, the restorative dentist (your dentist) fits and makes the permanent prosthesis. Your dentist will also make any temporary prosthesis needed during the implant process.

If you are considering implants, your mouth must be examined thoroughly and your medical and dental history reviewed. If your mouth is not ideal for implants, ways of improving outcome, such as bone grafting, may be recommended.

Wisdom Teeth: Wisdom teeth deserve special attention, especially with parents of kids approaching their teen years. By the age of 18, the average adult has 32 teeth; 16 teeth on the top and 16 teeth on the bottom. The average mouth is made to hold only 28 teeth. These four other teeth are your third molars, also known as “wisdom teeth.” If these teeth come in at odd angles or in incorrect directions, they can cause long lasting problems with the other teeth in the mouth.

 

Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt within the mouth. When they align properly and gum tissue is healthy, wisdom teeth do not have to be removed. Unfortunately, this does not generally happen. They may grow sideways, partially emerge from the gum, and even remain trapped beneath the gum and bone. Impacted teeth can take many positions in the bone as they attempt to find a pathway that will allow them to successfully erupt. When they are prevented from properly erupting within the mouth, impacted teeth must be surgically removed.

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These poorly positioned impacted teeth can cause many problems. When they are partially erupted, the opening around the teeth allows bacteria to grow and will eventually cause an infection. The result: swelling, stiffness, pain, and illness. The pressure from the erupting wisdom teeth may move other teeth and disrupt the orthodontic or natural alignment of teeth.

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The most serious problem occurs when tumors or cysts form around the impacted wisdom teeth, resulting in the destruction of the jawbone and healthy teeth. Removal of the offending impacted teeth usually resolves these problems. Early wisdom teeth removal is recommended for many Patients to avoid such future problems and to decrease the surgical risk involved with the procedure. In most cases, the removal of wisdom teeth is performed under IV Sedation. Your options for sedation, as well as the surgical risks (i.e., sensory nerve damage, sinus complications), will be discussed with you before the procedure is performed.
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Implant Retained Same Day Denture: An Implant Retained Same Day Denture is a contemporary restoration that has revolutionized the way surgeons and dentists think of replacing a full set of teeth. Standard dentures are unsecured prostheses. Most often, dentures are painful, inconvenient and unstable. Such dentures can make chewing foods difficult, limiting the foods that you once enjoyed. Modern dentistry can help with implant supported dentures, which involve the denture being retained by multiple implants either by “snapping” on to the implants or screwing the denture onto the implants. This is a team effort between an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and a restorative dentist.

Bone Grafting: Over a period of time, the jawbone associated with missing teeth atrophies or is reabsorbed. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone suitable for placement of dental implants. In these situations, most patients are not candidates for placement of dental implants. Today, we have the ability to grow bone where needed. This not only gives us the opportunity to place implants of proper length and width, it also gives us a chance to restore functionality and aesthetic appearance.

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Facial Reconstruction: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are well versed in emergency care, acute treatment and long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation of the face. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained, skilled and uniquely qualified to manage and treat facial trauma. Injuries to the face, by their very nature, impart a high degree of emotional, as well as physical trauma to patients. The science and art of treating these injuries requires special training involving a “hands on” experience and an understanding of how the treatment provided will influence the patient’s long term function and appearance. Both Drs. May and Roberts trained in Level 1 trauma centers.

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Pre-Prosthetic Surgery: Some patients require minor oral surgical procedures before receiving a partial or complete denture, in order to ensure the maximum level of comfort. A denture sits on the bone ridge, so it is very important that the bone is the proper shape and size. If a tooth needs to be extracted, the underlying bone might be left sharp and uneven. For the best fit of a denture, the bone might need to be smoothed out or reshaped. Occasionally, excess bone would need to be removed prior to denture insertion.

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Oral Pathology: The inside of the mouth is normally lined with a special type of skin (mucosa) that is smooth and coral pink in color. Any alteration in this appearance could be a warning sign for a pathological process. The most serious of these is oral cancer. The following can be signs at the beginning of a pathologic process or cancerous growth:

• Reddish patches (erythroplasia) or whitish patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth.

• A sore that fails to heal and bleeds easily.

• A lump or thickening on the skin lining the inside of the mouth.

• Chronic sore throat or hoarseness. Difficulty in chewing or swallowing.

These changes can be detected on the lips, cheeks, palate, and gum tissue around the teeth, tongue, face and/or neck. Pain does not always occur with pathology and is not often associated with oral cancer. However, any patient with facial and/or oral pain without an obvious cause or reason may also be at risk for oral cancer.

Lesions that are found in the mouth can be biopsied and sent to an oral pathologist to determine a definitive diagnosis.

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TMJ Disorders: TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders are a family of problems related to your complex jaw joint. Symptoms such as pain or “clicking”  occur when the joints of the jaw and the chewing muscles (muscles of mastication) do not work together correctly. Since some types of TMJ problems can lead to more serious conditions, early detection and treatment are important. TMJ dysfuction can be treated with a wide range of options ranging from physical therapy to total joint replacement.

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Sleep Apnea: People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have disrupted sleep and low blood oxygen levels while sleeping. When obstructive sleep apnea occurs, the tongue and soft tissues of the neck are relaxed and obstruct the airflow while sleeping. This can be treated by a wide range of options varying from an oral appliance that holds the lower jaw in a forward position to jaw repositioning surgery.

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Cleft Lip & Palate:  During early pregnancy, separate areas of the face develop individually and then join together, including the left and right sides of the roof of the mouth and lips. However, if some parts do not join properly, sections do not meet and the result is a cleft. If the separation occurs in the upper lip, the child is said to have a cleft lip. This can affect the child's normal eating and speech development. Clefts often need multiple surgeries to regain form and function.

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Impacted Canines: An impacted tooth simply means that it is “stuck” and cannot erupt into function. Patients frequently develop problems with impacted third molar (wisdom) teeth. These teeth get “stuck” in the back of the jaw and can develop painful infections among a host of other problems (see Impacted Wisdom Teeth under Procedures). Since there is rarely a functional need for wisdom teeth, they are usually extracted if they develop problems. The maxillary cuspid (upper eyetooth) is the second most common tooth to become impacted. The cuspid tooth is a critical tooth in the dental arch and plays an important role in your “bite”. The cuspid teeth are very strong biting teeth and have the longest roots of any human teeth. They are designed to be the first teeth that touch when your jaws close together so they guide the rest of the teeth into the proper bite.

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3D Imaging: Our cone beam CT scanner gives our oral and maxillofacial practice state-of-the-art technology to help Dr. May and Dr. Roberts diagnose potential issues more accurately and provide treatment with unprecedented confidence. Unlike a traditional spiral CT scanner, this 3D system utilizes cone beam CT technology and provides precise, crystal-clear digital images while minimizing your exposure to radiation.

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Our new 3D system enables us to perform a wider range of diagnoses and treatments in our office, helping to reduce multiple visits. The cone beam CT scanner allows us to choose the field of view, or scanning area, that best suits your specific treatment needs. This helps to limit your radiation exposure because we are focusing specifically on your area of concern.