Oral Surgery
When an underlying dental issue occurs, going into oral surgery may be necessary for correcting health issues and ensuring you have the stable functionality of your mouth and jaw.
At NKC Dental in North Kansas City, MO, and Westwood, KS, we’re here to help you understand your options when it comes to dental treatments and therapies that can give you the brightest and healthiest smile.
The following are just some of the oral surgeries that our providers can perform.
All-on-Four Fixed Treatment
A revolutionary and relatively new treatment is the all-on-four fixed treatment. It is a dental procedure that can restore your entire set of teeth with as few as four dental implants. Once those implants are in place, a permanent prosthetic can be attached.
If you have significant tooth loss or decay, this can be an excellent solution to protect your jaw against bone loss, improve the functionality of your jaw, and give you back a natural-looking smile. And, since you only need a few titanium implants, it’s most likely that no bone grafts will be required (although every patient does vary).
Maxillofacial Surgery
There are a number of health conditions that can affect the neck, face, and jaw. Maxillofacial surgery may be necessary to correct issues such as tumors, congenital deformities, trauma, or the misalignment of the jaw. Maxillofacial surgery can also help treat problems with the temporomandibular joint and correct the jaw to ensure it functions properly. This kind of surgery can be done to correct both cosmetic and functional concerns and is typically done under general anesthesia. It is available for people of all ages, depending on the condition, and will require a consultation to determine a surgical plan.
Bone Grafts/Sinus Lifts
If you need to get a dental implant but don’t have enough bone to support it, one of the options is to add a bone graft or do a sinus lift. Bone grafting allows your provider to transplant bone tissue to rebuild the jaw until it is strong enough to support an implant. A sinus lift elevates the sinus membrane. Then, bone is added to the upper jaw.
In either case, replacing the bone allows your provider to create a more substantial base for an eventual implant. Once the bone is prepared, you can have a titanium implant installed, allowing a new tooth or set of teeth to be mounted directly and permanently.
Dental Implants
If you have lost one or more of your teeth, one option to replace them is through dental implants. The dental implant process involves screwing a titanium post into the jawbone, where it can serve as an artificial root. Then, a new tooth prosthetic is screwed onto the end of the post. Since the post fuses with bone, it becomes highly stable and can be used to support dentures, bridges, and crowns. Additionally, using a dental implant helps reduce bone loss and can be an excellent option compared to traditional bridges or dentures.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Most people have four wisdom teeth that grow at the back of the mouth. Unfortunately, these molars often become impacted or struggle to emerge into the mouth, leading to pain, the misalignment of teeth, and swelling. Most people begin to have trouble with these teeth during their teen years.
Wisdom tooth removal can take one or more wisdom teeth out of the mouth and alleviate discomfort caused by these large molars. Depending on where they’re located and how they’re affecting the mouth, wisdom tooth removal can be performed with either local or general anesthesia.
Extractions
While the goal is always to save teeth and to avoid removing them, extractions are necessary in some cases. Whether your teeth have become impacted or one has abscessed or decayed, it’s essential to consider extracting the tooth when a filling or root canal can’t save it. Extractions might also be used to address issues such as overcrowding or to get your teeth ready for other kinds of orthodontic treatments.
Extractions are typically performed under local anesthesia, but they can sometimes be performed with general anesthesia if necessary.
Schedule Oral Surgery With NKC Dental in North Kansas City, MO
At NKC Dental, we understand that having surgery can be frightening or stressful. That’s why our providers take the time to speak with every patient during a consultation and to go over every step of the process, from what will happen during surgery to how long they can expect it to take to recover. Our team of expert dental providers is ready to help correct any dental issues you’re dealing with and to help you get back the healthy, happy smile you deserve.
Call our offices today by reaching out to our North Kansas City office at 1-816-974-9418. You can also reach our West Plaza location in Westwood, KS, at 1-913-350-1111.
