While the phrase “oral surgery” can sound alarming, it is frequently an important and necessary component of treatment involving tooth removal, bone reconstruction, implant placement, or other restorative efforts. At Prostho Endo Dental Group, our philosophy on oral surgery is rooted in careful planning, open communication, and a comprehensive appreciation of how each procedure relates to your long-term dental needs.
For North Bethesda, MD residents, this means that we don’t simply address the specific reason for the surgery; we also safeguard your treatment future with attention to functionality, ease of oral care, aesthetics, and treatment opportunities. From a simple tooth extraction to a more elaborate surgery, every procedure is performed with exactness, skill, and deliberate planning.
Sophisticated Surgical Planning With CBCT Scans
Before a surgical procedure starts, it is already underway. CBCT scans enable us to study the teeth, roots, jaw, sinuses, nerves, and adjacent tissues in 3D, which is more comprehensive than a 2D film. This information is especially important when planning for extractions, bone grafts, sinus lifts, implant placement, and treatments involving impacted teeth.
Advanced imaging allows for more predictable and accurate clinical judgments at Prostho Endo Dental Group. We can look past a narrow field of view and see the quality and quantity of available bone and other anatomy, giving us a much greater understanding of which surgical techniques would work best for your needs. As a result, uncertainty is lowered, and your plan is customized to your anatomy rather than based on a blanket treatment approach.
Removing Teeth & Saving Future Treatment Options
When a tooth is not worth saving because of extensive damage, infection, fracture, bone loss, or heavy decay, your only option may be removal. But how the tooth is removed makes a difference if you are planning to follow up with an implant, bridge, or other future restorative treatment. A skilled removal can save bone and tissue and help make the future restoration more predictable.
At Prostho Endo Dental Group, we don’t just consider the tooth we are removing—we also think about the next step. In cases where future bone loss is anticipated, we might offer bone grafting along with your extraction procedure, helping to avoid potential bone loss from an extraction and to maintain the future restoration options for you.
Removing Wisdom Teeth & Other Impacted Teeth
Impacted teeth and wisdom teeth may not develop properly when there isn’t enough space to do so. They may cause other problems like crowding, shifting of other teeth, difficulty in cleaning them, and/or increased risk of infection and gum disease. Some impacted teeth are below the gumline and can only be seen with a careful examination and imaging.
Wisdom teeth are removed with careful consideration of the position of the teeth, the stage of root development, proximity of the roots to the nerves, and other considerations such as infection, gum tissue, or crowding. We spend time with our patients talking through the reasons a tooth extraction or other surgery might be recommended, the details of the procedure, and what recovery would look like. This approach ensures patients are well-informed and prepared for their dental procedures.
Bone Grafts & Site Development
Bone grafting is often an integral step when rebuilding healthy structure and function in the jaw. If a patient has been missing a tooth for some time, bone loss may result from infection or other causes, leaving the jawbone without enough bone to sustain a future implant. The process of bone grafting will restore the volume and make the bone structure stronger for long-term success in restoration work.
In implant dentistry, the quality and shape of the remaining bone are vital to how well an implant can be placed and are a major consideration. At Prostho Endo Dental Group, we provide specific bone graft guidance in implant cases, with careful consideration of the final outcome. The goal isn’t just to restore bone. It’s also about ensuring proper implant positioning, a natural aesthetic, and stable long-term function.
Sinus Lift Procedures For Implant Success
For those patients with missing upper back teeth, the sinus may be located just above the jaw, limiting the available bone for a dental implant. Using a sinus lift procedure, the sinus floor is elevated, and bone graft material can then be placed below it in order to make more bone available for an implant.
Because every patient has a unique anatomy, sinus lift procedures require careful planning. CBCT imaging can help determine your sinus configuration, the amount of bone available, and the best approach to take, should you require the procedure. A sinus lift will allow implant treatment to occur in some cases where there was thought not to be enough bone available previously.
Surgical Implant Placement & Precision Care
Placement of a dental implant is both a surgical and restorative procedure. Implants have to be placed in the proper position so a crown, bridge, or denture can be placed, while being stable, functioning well, and esthetic for the patient. In situations where a prosthetic and surgical option is available, like our own, implant planning is performed with consideration of the restoration of the tooth or teeth to be placed.
In other words, rather than simply placing an implant, the placement of a future tooth is taken into consideration when an implant is placed. We look at bite, spacing, and alignment, bone, gingival health, and long-term function. By taking a broader, more comprehensive view of a patient’s treatment, we can improve treatment predictability, allowing for a long-term result that will better serve the patient.
Complex Surgical Cases Managed Under One Roof
Some oral surgery patients require comprehensive care in the office, often with multiple issues present at the same time, like failing teeth, infection, previous dental work, and implant placement. This requires communication and good planning to determine the best course of action and understand each individual’s unique anatomy, as well as to determine the best timing and sequence of procedures to achieve the final restoration.
By being in an office that treats a complex array of dental problems, Prostho Endo Dental Group can evaluate a patient’s needs from a more comprehensive, wider viewpoint. This is especially true in cases that may require extractions, bone grafting, endodontics (root canal therapy), or a full dental restoration (prosthodontics). Keeping all services for a patient in one location can also improve efficiency in treatment, as patients do not have to shuttle between multiple offices, and can also decrease anxiety that sometimes accompanies multiple treatment settings.
Healing, Recovery, & Long-Term Success
Post-operative recovery after oral surgery will depend on several factors, such as the type of procedure, overall medical health, and adherence to post-op instructions. Our office will provide you with comprehensive and thorough post-op instructions to ensure that you have a good recovery, including post-op care like swelling control, protecting the surgical site, and oral hygiene instructions in order to minimize the potential for post-op complications.
Follow-up care and long-term health are also vital for implant success after initial healing occurs. This allows for the assessment of the surgical site and graft material, as well as any follow-up care needed for an implant. This is the phase for implants that is crucial to ensure good bone integration before a restoration is completed on them. By addressing each phase of treatment, we are able to maximize success for our patients while providing comfort and confidence for long-term health.
Choose Prostho Endo Dental Group For Thoughtful Surgical Care
The more you know about oral surgery procedures like the ones listed here, and for which reasons your dental health requires them, the more prepared you are for treatment. We provide surgical procedures with a balance of state-of-the-art technology, clinical experience, and clear communication. Prostho Endo Dental Group provides all surgical services in one convenient office location in the North Bethesda, MD area.
We are pleased to be able to provide this service in one location to ensure all dental health needs of your family are being met for current treatment as well as for future oral health. For oral surgery, our team is here to assist you and provide you with clarity, comfort, and a plan that is based on your health.