Oral Surgery
Oral Surgery
When you hear the term oral surgery it may sound intimidating, but one of the most common oral surgery procedures is tooth extraction. Sometimes gum disease, severe tooth decay, infections or an impacted wisdom tooth may require oral surgery. Thankfully, Dr. Bird and his team right here in Muskogee, Oklahoma are very experienced in extractions and oral surgery so you can feel at ease knowing you are in great hands.
No one wants to find out they need a tooth pulled. Sometimes, it becomes the only option to protect the rest of your teeth and to alleviate pain.
Here are a few situations where that can occur
• A baby tooth may be decaying rapidly, causing damage to the root
• Gum disease has affected the supporting tissues and bones
• Extensive decay in adult teeth cannot be repaired
• Fracture in the tooth has been caused by decay or trauma
Routine Tooth Extractions
Routine tooth extractions generally refer to the types of procedures where the tooth is visible with a glance into the open mouth. No incision is usually required and these procedures typically heal very quickly. An office visit and local anesthesia are all that is normally necessary, however, if you suffer from dental anxiety Dr. Bird is happy to discuss sedation options with you to help you feel more comfortable during the procedure.
Surgical Tooth Extractions
More complicated extractions, called surgical extractions, usually refer to teeth that aren’t visible in the mouth so they may require a small incision. The tooth may have broken at or below the gum line, failed to erupt completely or only partially erupted. Don't be intimidated by the term surgical as Dr. Bird and his team take every measure to keep you as comfortable and as pain-free as possible. Many times, surgical extractions don't take much longer than routine extractions and thanks to anesthesia you should be comfortable throughout the entire procedure.
Wisdom Tooth Extractions
It may seem like there's no need to remove your teen's wisdom teeth right now since there's no serious issue with them. It’s true that not everyone needs their third molars pulled but almost 90% of people have them removed at some point in their lives. Many people wonder why we even have wisdom teeth if most of us have to have them extracted at one point in our lives. Researchers believe early humans needed them due to their diets and their larger jaws could accommodate them much better.
So, why is it better for your teen to have them removed now instead of later if your dentist believes their jaw is too small?
Complications
Most jaws simply aren’t big enough to accommodate our wisdom teeth. When crowding occurs it not only causes them to shift and become crooked, but it also makes it very hard to clean them. Decay, infection and gum disease become of greater concern not just for the wisdom teeth, but for the teeth and gums around them.
Development
The longer the teeth have to develop the stronger the roots take hold. Think of a freshly planted tree and how much easier it would be to remove it in its first season versus five, or even ten years later.
Recovery
The recovery time is typically much shorter in younger patients who have their wisdom teeth pulled. This is in part because of their age. It’s also because the extraction is usually easier since the root hasn’t had as much time to form.