An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a dental specialist who treats many diseases, injuries, and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws, hard and soft tissues of the mouth, and maxillofacial (jaws and face) region. This type of dental specialist is often referred to as simply an oral surgeon. Our Las Vegas oral surgeon provides surgical treatment for routine wisdom teeth extractions and dental implants to more complex facial reconstruction surgery. The following are some of the most common conditions that may require an oral surgeon and their special expertise.
Also known as third molars, wisdom teeth often fail to come in properly and become impacted in either the gum tissue or bone. Our Las Vegas oral surgeon can remove impacted wisdom teeth to alleviate both the pain and to reduce the patient’s risk of developing a potentially dangerous infection.
When a patient has missing teeth, an oral surgeon can place dental implants in the jawbone that will serve as permanent replacement tooth roots. Once the titanium implants are implanted in the bone, the patient undergoes a healing process that can take several weeks. Once this process is complete, the titanium implant is fused to the bone and the patient returns to the oral surgeon for the placement of the artificial tooth top or crown. Sometimes it’s necessary for the oral surgeon to perform a bone graft prior to placing the implant. A bone graft is often done if there is not enough bone present to securely hold the titanium post that makes up the implant. For questions about dental implants in Las Vegas, never hesitate to contact our oral surgeon!
An oral surgeon should quickly see patients who’ve suffered facial trauma (fractured or dislocated the jaw) so the jaw can be reset. Oral surgeons also routinely provide care and treatment to people who’ve suffered from facial and oral lacerations.
When a person has sleep apnea, he or she repeatedly stops breathing while asleep. Sleep apnea is often caused by a poorly positioned jaw or due to an excessive amount of soft tissue in the vicinity of the airway opening. There are a number of surgical procedures used for treating sleep apnea. The oral surgeon will work closely with the patient’s sleep specialists to determine which surgical option is best if surgery is deemed necessary.
If an abnormality in the structure of the jaw is causing a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, an oral surgeon may be able to provide the patient with relief by correcting the problem surgically.
If the upper and lower jaws don’t develop at the same rate, the appearance and function of the jaws may be compromised. Abnormalities of the jaw can also be caused by birth defects. Orthognathic surgery can help improve the alignment of the jaw in such cases.
If you are in need of an oral surgery listed above, please contact our oral surgeon in Las Vegas. Our doctor and staff will be happy to discuss your options and answer any questions you may have. To schedule an appointment, please call our office directly at 702.367.6666 or fill out our easy online contact form. We look forward to hearing from you soon!