Oral Surgery in Naples

What Does an Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon Do?

Oral maxillofacial surgeons specialize in dental surgery, diagnosing, treating, and resolving oral diseases, injuries, and defects. Oral surgery refers to surgeries of the mouth, while the term “maxillofacial surgery” refers to facial and jaw surgery. For jaw misalignment issues and other irregularities, orthognathic surgery is often required.

What Are the Available Types of Oral Surgery?

Tooth Extractions

Occasionally, tooth extractions require the expertise of an oral surgeon. There are many reasons pulling teeth might be required, including to make room for orthodontic braces and to eliminate extensive tooth decay or infection. Tooth extraction costs are based on several factors, including the condition of the tooth and its surrounding gum tissue.

Oral Cancer Diagnosis

Oral cancer screenings are an important part of your regular dental exam, even if you have not noticed oral cancer symptoms. When oral cancer is present, some patients may experience difficulty chewing or swallowing as well as swollen jaws, ear pain, and difficulty moving their tongue or jaw. Many things, like heavy tobacco use, can cause oral cancer. Luckily, this type of cancer is treatable, and early oral cancer detection improves most patients’ oral cancer prognosis.

Oral Pathology

The mouth is an incredibly functional organ, but sometimes this organ can develop diseases, infections, and defects. Oral and maxillofacial pathology is the diagnosis and treatment of these issues that can affect the mouth, salivary glands, jaw, facial muscles, and other related areas. Some common oral pathology issues include palatal cysts, canker sores, herpes of the mouth, hairy tongue, patchwork tongue, and fungal infections. If you have an oral pathology disease or issue, call our office to schedule an appointment with our experienced board-certified oral surgeon.

Sedation

We are dedicated to keeping our patients comfortable and relaxed throughout their oral surgery procedures. To aid our patients’ comfort, we use a number of different sedation methods, from medications to IV therapy. Our experienced oral surgeon is highly trained in IV sedation, often working with prosthodontists, general dentists, and periodontists to provide sedation to their patients as well.

Sinus Lift

If you are preparing to have a dental implant placed in your upper jaw, your oral surgeon may recommend a sinus lift procedure. This lift may be necessary if your upper jawbone does not have enough depth to support an implanted post. During the lift procedure, bone material is added to the upper jaw near the maxillary sinuses and the sinus membrane is raised to make room for the bone augmentation.

Platelet-rich plasma

The use of platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is a relatively new development in oral and jaw surgery. Researchers have found that applying the patient’s own blood and its derived growth factors to tooth sockets, gums, and implants can help patients heal more efficiently. Since the therapy uses the patient’s own blood, there is little health risk with using PRP.

How Should I Schedule Dental Surgery Near Me?

If your primary physician or dentist recommends that you call an oral and maxillofacial surgery specialist, you may ask, “But where should I go for dental surgery near me?” The answer to that question is to call our office. We will schedule your consultation with our oral surgeon as quickly as possible so we can help get you back on the path to good oral health.