Oral surgery in Central Arkansas

Why Would I Need Oral Surgery?

Oral and maxillofacial surgery are used to correct damage to the face and jaw, usually from trauma, infection or disease. Oral surgery is done in the mouth for teeth and gums, maxillofacial surgery is for the face and jaw, and orthognathic surgery corrects structural irregularities in the face and jaw. If you need oral surgery, we’re here to help you. If your general dentist or primary care doctor has recommended that you have oral surgery in Central Arkansas and you’ve been asking, “Who offers dental surgery near me?”, wonder no longer. Call us today.

What Types of Services Do Oral Surgeons Provide?

We provide many types of oral and maxillofacial surgery treatments, including:

Wisdom teeth removal

Wisdom teeth are usually the last set of molars to erupt, and they usually appear after 18 years of age. Advances in dentistry have simplified the procedure for extracting wisdom teeth, but there still can be issues that make jaw surgery more complicated. The cost of your wisdom teeth extraction will be affected by the number of teeth to be removed, and additional work that’s needed, such as for an impacted tooth. If you need your wisdom teeth extracted, call our office and schedule a consultation.

Although many people have enough room on their jaw to accommodate their wisdom teeth, some need to have their wisdom teeth extracted for these reasons:

• There’s not enough room in the jaw for the third set of molars.
• Wisdom teeth are causing structural damage to the surrounding teeth or the jaw.
• Wisdom teeth are erupting at an angle.

Tooth extractions

We always try to save teeth, but sometimes a tooth must be extracted. If there’s severe damage, decay or an infection, a tooth may not be salvageable. An impacted tooth may be impeding the alignment of other teeth, so it may need to be pulled. The cost of the procedure will depend on the complexity of the work to be done, the number of teeth to be extracted, and the type and amount of sedative that’s needed. If you need one or more teeth to be extracted, be sure to call our Central Arkansas office to schedule a consultation.

Dental implants

If you have one or more missing teeth, you should replace them with dental implants. Teeth are vital to your digestive process and your overall health, as well as to the structural alignment of your face and jaw. When a tooth is missing, the other teeth will begin to slant forward, the jaw can lose its structural integrity, you can develop premature wrinkles, and more teeth can fall out. Dental implants are expensive, but they’re well worth the cost. An implant has a titanium post that functions as the root of a tooth, so dental implants are permanently anchored in your jaw. Unlike dentures, they don’t slide around and won’t fall out. The cost of your implants will depend on the number of implants you need and any additional work required. Please call our office for more information.

Oral cancer screening and diagnosis

Oral cancer can have several causes. Lately, doctors and dentists are seeing more cases of it, so they’re recommending that all adults be screened for oral cancer, especially those in high-risk groups.

The sooner oral cancer is diagnosed, the better the prognosis, so don’t procrastinate in scheduling a screening for oral cancer. The disease can have symptoms, so if you notice any of the following, it’s important to be screened right away:

• Swelling in your jaw
• Thickening in an area or a lump in your mouth or tongue
• Difficulty moving your tongue or jaw
• Difficulty with chewing or swallowing
• Chronic ear pain

Oral cancer treatment

If you’re diagnosed with oral cancer, it can be traumatizing. However, we can help you. Depending on the stage of the disease, you may be seeing many other types of providers, including those for radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and more. Remember, the earlier the disease is detected, the better the outcome. Early detection is the key, so call us today to schedule your screening for oral cancer.

Pre-orthodontic surgery

Pre-orthodontic surgery is performed before you or your child has braces installed. It’s sometimes needed to ensure that there’s room for the straightened teeth and that all of the teeth can be properly aligned. If there’s an impacted tooth, then it may need to be removed. At times, the patient will need to wear braces for a short time before the surgery. The cost of this procedure will depend on the complexity of the situation and will be unique to each patient. Call us if you need more information or would like to schedule an appointment.

Pre-prosthetic surgery

Sometimes before fitting a patient with prosthetic teeth, also called dentures, we’ll need to perform prosthetic surgery to ensure that the teeth will fit properly and have a proper surface for installation. Sometimes, if there has been severe damage to the TMJ, then a prosthetic jaw will need to be installed during prosthetic surgery. Prosthetic surgery procedures include the following:

• Bone graft
• Gum graft
• One or more extractions
• Removing tori, which are bony bumps

What’s the Process for Scheduling an Appointment with an Oral Surgeon?

Your dental issues will determine the course of your treatment regimen, and surgery may not be the first option that’s recommended. However, if your general dentist has recommended dental surgery and you’ve been searching online for “oral surgeons who perform dental surgery near me,” then schedule a consultation. We’re one of the best for jaw surgery in Central Arkansas, and we’ll do our utmost to maintain your comfort throughout your procedure. Your post-op instructions will be easy to follow and, as always, we’re happy to answer all of your questions, so call us today.