Oral Surgery in Elkhart
Orange Door Dental Group of Elkhart can provide oral surgery for a variety of conditions. For example, if you have adult teeth that are refusing to grow out of the gums, then we can help those stubborn teeth to come in without causing oral health issues. We can also remove wisdom teeth to make room for other teeth that are starting to crowd or bunch together.
At Orange Door Dental Group, our goal is to help you get the care you need in a comfortable, friendly environment. If you need oral surgery, we’ll talk you through every step and help you understand the benefits and relief that come with the treatment.
Should I Have Oral Surgery?
There are several reasons why you might be recommended for oral surgery, including the following:
- Impacted teeth below the gum that might be starting to cause headaches or jaw pain.
- Severe tooth decay that is starting to affect the overall health of the mouth.
- Advanced gum disease starts to affect the health of the jaw.
- Severely crowded teeth that cannot be otherwise corrected with orthodontic procedures.
- Your wisdom teeth need to be removed to prevent future problems.
Regardless of the reason for your need for oral surgery, we can provide excellent treatment with the individualized care you deserve.
How Does Oral Surgery Work?
Depending on your specific situation, your treatment may differ from someone else’s. We can show you a few different reasons for surgery and how the treatment can repair your smile.
Impacted Teeth
In the case of impacted teeth, our dentists will either remove the teeth if there is no room for them to grow or expose the teeth so that they can grow naturally. Impacted teeth that are not removed can otherwise cause additional problems to surrounding teeth.
Tooth Decay
If you have severe tooth decay, the affected teeth are extracted and replaced with dental implants, dentures, or bridges. Like an infection, tooth decay consists of bacteria that spreads in your mouth and can start to affect other teeth. Sometimes, removal is needed to treat decay.
Periodontitis and Advanced Gum Disease
In cases of advanced gum disease, affected teeth may have to be removed. New tissue may be added to help heal the damaged tissue, which is done in the form of gum grafting. Adding new tissue can help repair and restore healthy gums in your mouth.
Crowding or Extra Teeth
With severely crowded teeth, the most common solution is tooth extraction, but oral surgery could also be performed in advance of an orthodontic procedure. Occasionally, some of the teeth are surgically altered to make room for orthodontic brackets or wires.
Traumatic Oral Injury
Oral surgery is also performed to repair damage caused by traumatic injury to the mouth. We will assess your injury to determine which surgical method will be beneficial to you.
What Happens When Teeth Become Infected?
It might sound weird to have an infection in your teeth, but the bacteria that can build up near your gum line or inside cavities can cause infection. Wisdom teeth often become infected because they are extra teeth that can simply cause unwanted problems.
Pericoronitis is the condition of infected wisdom teeth. Symptoms of pericoronitis include:
- A bad taste in your mouth.
- A foul smell coming from your mouth.
- Painful, often swollen, gum tissue near the affected wisdom tooth.
- Enlargement or swelling of the lymph nodes.
- Unexplained jaw muscle twitching.
- Accompanying fever.
This type of infection needs to be treated right away. In addition to removing the problematic wisdom tooth or teeth from your mouth, we may provide antibiotics to ensure you can get rid of all the infected tissue in your mouth.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Human beings have been born with extra teeth for years. The theory is that our ancestors often needed extra teeth because they would lose several adult teeth early in life. That may have been true hundreds of years ago, but now we don’t need those extra teeth.
Benefits of Wisdom Tooth Removal
Wisdom teeth come in all shapes and sizes. Whether all of your wisdom teeth are in, if they have just started erupting, or if they are impacted, oral surgery can help prevent a myriad of dental issues.
Wisdom teeth often come with the following problems:
Tooth Decay:
Because wisdom teeth are at the back of the mouth, they can be extremely hard to clean. This results in the buildup of bacteria and the beginning of tooth decay, which can be extremely painful.
Overcrowding:
When you have too many teeth in your mouth, your teeth can shift position, causing issues with your bite. Your teeth may start to hurt, and your front teeth may even become crooked or overlap each other.
Impaction:
Impacted wisdom teeth are teeth that stick in the jaw, grow in diagonally, or are completely sideways in the mouth. An impacted tooth is simply a tooth that doesn’t come in the way it should. Impacted teeth are also at increased risk of infection.
Oral Disease:
Infection in one tooth is likely to spread to other teeth. Spreading infection in your mouth can cause pain and swelling and can eventually lead to tooth loss or gum disease.
We can remove your wisdom teeth before they become a problem. Contact us to schedule a consultation and find out how easy wisdom teeth removal can be.
For Questions About Oral Surgery or to Schedule a Consultation, Call Us Today!
If you should ever need oral surgery, then we can be here to assist you in that critical moment. Our team can show you all of your options and help you decide which treatment is best for your situation. Call Orange Door Dental Group of Elkhart today to schedule your consultation.
