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Oral Surgery | Dentist Renton
Bringing Smiles to Your Renton Neighborhood Since 1999
Teeth Extractions
In these days, the softer diet and shorter jaw of modern humans have rendered wisdom teeth unnecessary. In fact, the onset of wisdom teeth can be a painful and potentially dangerous development. In most cases, a relatively simple and straightforward surgery can extract the wisdom teeth before they cause permanent damage to the teeth and mouth.
Wisdom teeth are located at the back of the mouth, the third molar at both ends of the top and bottom row of teeth.
As the wisdom teeth begin to grow, they can become impacted, or trapped in the jawbone and/or gums. As they continue to grow beneath the gum line in an angled or horizontal direction, displacement of the original line of teeth and wearing into the back molars can occur. Wisdom teeth that are unable to "erupt" above the gum line can lead to inflammation and infection. In the case of a partial eruption, a pocket often forms under the gumline, which can lead to the formation of a cyst or tumor.
If left untreated, wisdom teeth cause permanent damage, including cavities, nerve damage, gum infection, bone infection, and a weakening of the jaw. Unfortunately, wisdom teeth often grow unnoticed until they cause problems in the mouth or outlying areas, such as the face. These problems can cause headaches, pain in the ears, neck, upper or lower jaw.
It's not just wisdom teeth that sometimes become impacted and need to be removed. Other teeth, such as the cuspids and the bicuspids can become impacted and can cause the same types of problems described with impacted wisdom teeth.
Replacing Missing Teeth
If you're having a missing tooth, dental implants, bridges, dentures are options for tooth loss due to infection. Implants are tooth root substitutes that are surgically anchored in place in the jawbone and act to stabilize the artificial teeth to which they are attached. Suitable candidates for dental implants need to have an adequate bone level and density, must not be prone to infection, and must be willing to maintain good oral hygiene practices.
TMJ Disorders
The Temporal Mandibular Joint or TMJ disorder is an umbrella term covering acute or chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint, which connects the mandible to the skull.
The disorder and resultant dysfunction can result in significant pain and impairment. The most common treatment for TMJ disorders in a custom Night guard or Occlusal guard to protect the TMJ joint and dentition.
Sleep Apnea
An estimated 18 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder caused by an obstructed airway due to the tongue and soft tissues falling into the back of the throat during sleep. This results in short episodes when breathing is stopped. Obstructive sleep apnea leads to excessive daytime sleepiness and has been associated with increased risk for high blood pressure, stroke, heart problems, and death.
When conservative nonsurgical methods such as positive pressure air machines and dental splint appliances fail to alleviate this problem, surgery can be tried. Surgical procedures involve removing the soft tissues of the oropharynx (an area in the back portion of the mouth) or the lower jaw. Laser surgery is a newer treatment option.