Oral Surgery

Is it Necessary to Remove Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt from the gums and usually when they emerge the person’s mouth is already very full of teeth. As a result, the wisdom teeth can come in sideways or cause severe overcrowding issues. Wisdom teeth can frequently become impacted as well. This means they are essentially stuck under the existing teeth and this can come with a lot of discomfort. The pressure can also damage existing teeth and cause decay or even tooth loss. Removing the wisdom teeth before these issues occur is important. This is why many dentists recommend that wisdom teeth are removed.

What Happens During a Dental Implant Procedure?

Implant placement usually requires three appointments to complete. During the first visit, the titanium post is installed in the patient’s jaw where the missing tooth was located. When a tooth is lost there can also be bone loss. If this occurs a bone graft is used to strengthen the area using bone tissue from a bank or a different spot in the patient’s mouth. Once the post, and the bone graft if used, are fused to the jaw the patient can go in for their second appointment. This usually takes a few weeks. During the second visit, the abutment or attachment piece is placed on the post and an impression of the area is made. This impression is used to make the prosthetic tooth. Lastly, the prosthetic tooth is attached to the abutment and buffed for the perfect fit.

What are Sinus Lifts?

Sinus lifts are medical procedures which are used to augment the bone of a patient’s upper jaw using bone grafts. Sinus lifts are usually performed before a dental implant is placed in the upper jaw to ensure that the area can support the implant. The are also performed to create space between the sinus and the upper jaw to make room for the implant’s post. The bone grafts are typically obtained from a bone tissue bank or another area of the patient’s body.