Oral Surgery at Uptown Dental Associates

Oral Surgery at Uptown Dental Associates

October 28, 2017
Oral Surgery

Do you have a tooth that needs to be extracted? Maybe it’s time for your or your child’s wisdom teeth to be removed. Perhaps you’re experiencing pain from receding gums, or you require a bone graft in order to thicken your jaw for a dental implant.

Whatever your oral surgery needs, you can be confident you’re in good hands at Uptown Dental Associates. Our stellar team, comfortable office, comfort items, and anesthesia options combine to give you the best possible experience.

To book an appointment at Uptown Dental Associates, call our Albuquerque, NM office, at (505)219-4548.

Extractions

A tooth extraction, or removal, is a common procedure that becomes necessary in any number of scenarios. There are two types of extractions. If we can see the tooth in the mouth, we will hopefully be able to remove it via a simple extraction. If the tooth is underneath the gumline, a surgical extraction may be necessary. For a surgical extraction, we will likely need to make a small incision in the gumline.

  • If your tooth is broken or damaged due to decay, we will attempt to restore it with a filling or crown, if at all possible. But sometimes, it is so far gone that an extraction is necessary.
  • Untreated gum disease leads to receding gums, and eventually loose teeth. If the teeth can’t be saved, they may need to be taken out.
  • Sometimes, teeth may need to be removed in order to alleviate an overcrowded bite. This is especially common in preparation for braces so that the remaining teeth will be able to move into their proper spaces.
  • A tooth may be taken out because it is blocking another tooth from coming in.
  • People with compromised immune systems — due to being on anti-rejection drugs after an organ transplant, or undergoing chemotherapy, for example — may need to have teeth removed, if those teeth present a risk of infection.

Wisdom Teeth

You’ve probably heard of wisdom teeth, but do you know what they are? Your wisdom teeth are a third set of molars that typically emerge in early adulthood. (Although some people don’t have them at all!)

Some people’s wisdom teeth come in with no issues at all. But often, they cause problems and require removal.

Wisdom teeth that are impacted get stuck in the gums and are unable to erupt fully (often because they are blocked by other teeth).

If your wisdom teeth start coming in sideways or crooked, they will need to be removed.

If one of our doctors is able to see that the wisdom teeth threaten to push against other teeth (potentially damaging them or moving them out of place), we will recommend extraction.

How do you know if your wisdom teeth are causing problems? Problematic wisdom teeth do not always present symptoms, which is why it’s so important for young adults to visit the dentist regularly. With our digital imaging capabilities, we will be able to spot issues before they are visible to the naked eye.

However, sometimes you will experience symptoms from impacted wisdom teeth. So if you notice swelling around the jaw, tender or bleeding gums, bad breath, or jaw swelling and pain, call Uptown Dental Associates immediately to make an appointment.

Bone Grafts

If you are missing teeth, you may be interested in getting dental implants, which are the tooth-replacement options that look, function, and feel most like real teeth. In the dental implant process, an artificial tooth root made of titanium is inserted into the jawbone.

Sometimes, a patient’s bone is too soft or deteriorated to support dental implants. In this case, the doctors at Uptown Dental Associates may recommend bone graft surgery. In this procedure, one of our skilled surgeons will graft a special material onto your jawbone. Over the coming months, new bone will grow around the graft so that your jawbone becomes stable and strong enough to successfully hold a dental implant.

Gum Grafts

Receded gums cause sensitivity, and pain, and can eventually result in your teeth loosening and falling out. If your gums have receded due to disease or other causes, you may be a candidate for gum graft surgery. In this procedure, we take gum tissue from another part of your mouth and use it to cover the receded areas. This protects the tooth root from decay and reduces sensitivity.

To book a consultation for any of the oral surgery services at Uptown Dental Care, call our Dentist in Albuquerque at (505)219-4548. We also have a convenient online web form. Fill it out and we will get in touch with you promptly.