Oral Surgery

You might need oral surgery if you have an impacted wisdom tooth or need dental implants. Dental Studio of Pasadena in Pasadena, California, specializes in advanced oral surgery for these and other treatments. Their experts possess exceptional surgical skills that minimize tissue damage and pain. Call Dental Studio of Pasadena to learn more about oral surgery or schedule a consultation online today.

When might I need oral surgery?

The primary reasons that the Dental Studio of Pasadena team performs oral surgery are:

Wisdom tooth removal

Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars at the very back of your mouth. They’re the last teeth to come through. You have one wisdom tooth at the end of each set of molars in your upper and lower jaws. These four teeth often don’t erupt until adulthood and can take years to come in. Usually, they cause no problems, but some people suffer from impaction.

This is where the wisdom tooth doesn’t erupt properly. Impacted wisdom teeth can be painful and are more likely to get infected. If there’s not enough space in your jaw, wisdom teeth can push the other teeth forward. Removing impacted wisdom teeth prevents infection, relieves pain, and avoids disrupting the alignment of your other teeth.

Tooth decay

Sometimes your dentist can save a decayed tooth with a root canal. This involves removing infected nerve tissue (pulp) from the inside of the tooth, sterilizing the tooth’s interior, and filling the hole. Severe tooth decay can cause such extensive damage that removing the tooth (extraction) is the only choice.

You might need a surgical gum graft if you have severe gum disease that causes your gums to recede from your teeth.

Jaw misalignment

You might benefit from oral surgery if you have a severe overbite or underbite, where the top and bottom jaw don’t align properly. During oral surgery, your dentist changes the position of your jaw to correct the misalignment.

Is oral surgery needed for cosmetic dentistry?

The primary use of oral surgery in cosmetic dentistry is to replace missing teeth with dental implants.

The Dental Studio of Pasadena team fits a titanium metal post into your jawbone that fuses with the bone over a few months. This creates a root for a replacement tooth that feels and works like a natural tooth root.

You need enough healthy bone to implant the titanium post. If the bone needs building up, you’ll require a bone graft.

Is oral surgery painful?

You’re given a local or general anesthetic before oral surgery to keep you comfortable. A local anesthetic with a sedative (sedation dentistry) is suitable for many oral surgeries. But some lengthy procedures require you to be asleep, so a general anesthetic is used.

The Dental Studio of Pasadena team uses advanced oral surgery techniques and instruments to minimize tissue damage during your procedure. This helps keep pain to a minimum.

Call Dental Studio of Pasadena to learn more about oral surgery, or book an appointment online today.