Preparing for Oral Surgery

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Our Oral Surgeons Discuss Oral Surgery Prepping Are you preparing for an oral surgery at Northern Texas Facial & Oral Surgery in Grapevine, Irving, or Keller? Perhaps you’re feeling nervous about your upcoming procedure, wondering how long it will take, what your recovery will look like afterward and how to avoid any unpleasant complications. Our oral surgeons are dedicated to ensuring your comfort during all procedures. To accommodate various patient needs, we provide several safe sedation options in our offices. General Tips for Preparing for Oral Surgery While we realize oral surgeries can be anxiety-inducing for many patients, we want you to know you’re in expert hands at Northern Texas Facial & Oral Surgery. Like many things in life, preparing for oral surgery and knowing what to expect can alleviate many of your fears. Here are a few general tips for preparing for your surgery at one of our offices:…

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What Are Dental Implants?

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Understanding Dental Implants from Our Oral Surgeons Dental implants can restore your smile if you’ve lost or damaged teeth over the years or due to an accident or Trauma. Permanent dental implants are now a preferred method for replacing missing teeth with a natural-looking, long-lasting solution. Anchored in the jawbone, dental implants function like your normal teeth and offer many benefits over traditional bridges and dentures. The surgical team at Northern Texas Facial & Oral Surgery wants to ensure you receive a replacement tooth that will look, feel, and function like your natural teeth, so call today for an exam.  What are dental implants? Dental implants are a durable, permanent solution to tooth decay, replacing missing teeth or weakened bone structure with metal fittings and natural-looking tooth replacements blended to your remaining teeth.   Modern implants are usually made of a synthetic and sterile material like metal or ceramic. An implant structure typically consists of an implant and a tooth-shaped custom dental…

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How Does Jaw Surgery Treat Sleep Apnea?

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How Does Jaw Surgery Treat Sleep Apnea in North Texas? Sleep apnea is a condition that impacts your breathing, your sleep quality, and your life. Patients with sleep apnea experience irregular breathing while they sleep, resulting in health issues such as fatigue, weight gain, memory loss, cardiovascular problems, and more. In many cases, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) provides effective relief of symptoms. For some patients with obstructive sleep apnea, however, CPAP is ineffective, and other treatments and corrective devices do not relieve symptoms.  Fortunately, medical advancements have made jaw surgery a safe and effective way to alleviate sleep apnea symptoms permanently. The team at Northern Texas Facial & Oral Surgery is here to explain how jaw surgery is a viable solution for certain patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. Contact us today for an appointment in North Texas.  How does jaw surgery work? Obstructive sleep apnea is the result of an airway blockage caused by soft tissue that collapses and closes…

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Wisdom Teeth Removal: Your Most Common Questions Answered

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  Has your dentist informed you that your wisdom teeth are coming in? Perhaps you’ve been referred to an oral surgeon for a wisdom tooth removal consultation. If you have queries about wisdom teeth and their removal, read on for answers to frequently asked questions. How many wisdom teeth does a person have? A person can have up to four wisdom teeth but some people do not develop wisdom teeth at all. Others might have between one and four wisdom teeth. Why do we have wisdom teeth? Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars that develop during one’s late teenage years or early-to-mid 20s. Originally, this third set of molars was helpful because people’s first and second sets of molars would often decay by the time a person was a teenager or adult. This means that third molars would essentially replace back teeth that were lost to disease. Now…

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Wisdom Teeth Removal: What are post-extraction considerations?

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Do you have an upcoming wisdom teeth extraction? If so, you likely have questions about your procedure. Removing wisdom teeth can preserve people’s oral health and comfort. These teeth, due to their wide roots and arrival during adulthood, contribute to many oral health complications including abscesses, worn dentition, and orofacial pain. During your treatment, our oral surgeons and our staff will take all measures necessary to ensure your comfort. After your procedure, you will need to make temporary changes to your daily routine so that you can enjoy an optimal recovery. Temporary Diet Changes After wisdom teeth removal, a person will need to adopt a liquid diet. Items like smoothies, broths, and clear liquids are wonderful for staying hydrated and receiving vital nutrients. Within a couple days, patients can begin introducing soft foods like mashed potatoes or pudding into their diets. These changes are only temporary and they are necessary…

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Which teeth can be replaced by dental implants?

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Do you wonder if dental implants are right for you? Have you lost one or more teeth? When it comes to treating tooth loss, dental implants are lauded as the most durable, tooth-like option available. Dental implants effectively restore oral function, support neighboring oral structures, and improve the aesthetics of a smile with a long-lasting prosthetic. Any type of tooth can be replaced with a dental implant as long as the area has adequate bone tissue to secure the implant in place. Our oral surgeons utilize advanced technology for accurate dental implant placement to ensure the best results possible. What does a dental implant do? Consider thinking of a dental implant as a prosthetic used to replace the root systems of teeth. All other tooth replacement options can only replace the visible structures of teeth. For instance, bridges connect to the visible structures of other teeth to fill in the…

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4 Things You Might Not Know About Dental Implants

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Dental implants are unique and revolutionary bases for replacing lost tooth structure. These innovative prosthetics increase oral function and improve appearance while supporting the health of important oral structures like gums and bone. Our oral surgeons have extensive experience placing dental implants. Since implants are a newer tooth replacement method, they offer many benefits that some people might not know about. Following are four facts about implants that might surprise you. Implants are Low Maintenance When compared to other types of prosthetics, dental implants are considered very low maintenance once they are stable. A dental implant and the restoration it holds are ultimately cleaned the same way that biological teeth are – with brushing and flossing. Specialized cleaning tools and overnight soaking are not required to keep dental implants clean. Dental Implants Replace Lost Root Structure A dental implant is a prosthetic made from titanium. It is embedded directly into…

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Congenitally Missing Teeth: Are dental implants an option?

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  Some patients are not born with a full set of 32 permanent teeth. In these cases, they should consider prosthetic tooth replacement options to complete their smiles. In the right conditions, dental implants can be a good solution for replacing a congenitally missing tooth. Structure of a Dental Implant Dental implants are unique among tooth replacement treatments because they consist of a root-like structure that supports a prosthetic crown or appliance. The dental implant is a titanium cylinder that an oral surgeon inserts into the jaw. After dental implant placement, the surrounding bone gradually fuses with the implant’s surface, and the dental implant becomes a fixture in the patient’s jaw. Qualifying for Dental Implants The quality of bone at the implant site is a critical element of long-term dental implant success. Often times, patients with congenitally missing teeth may also be lacking some bone structure in the area. This…

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Sedation Options for Oral Surgery

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An oral surgeon is trained to perform very specific procedures that can affect the entire oral cavity and lower portion of the face. For example, a person might see an oral surgeon for something relatively simple like a tooth extraction or something far more complex like full mouth reconstruction, which can include jaw surgery, tooth extractions and implant dentistry. Since an oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) performs an array of treatments with varying invasiveness, sedation and anesthetic options for patients is necessary for promoting comfortable care. Local Anesthesia & Nitrous Oxide Advancements in local anesthetics have made it possible for dental professionals to take conservative approaches to using strong medications in many instances. Some tooth extractions can be performed with local anesthetic and nitrous oxide effective at maintaining patient comfort. On the other hand, many wisdom tooth extractions require IV sedation. That is because this oral surgery is more complex…

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Wisdom Teeth Removal: A Guide to Your Third Molars

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The first time many patients encounter an oral surgeon is when it’s time to have their wisdom teeth removed. The lack of familiarity with these procedures can seem scary and overwhelming at first, but when patients get more information, they feel reassured. Here is a guide to help you understand why impacted wisdom teeth need to be extracted and what you can expect from the procedure. You may wonder why we even have these teeth to begin with if they’re only going to be removed. These large teeth helped our ancient ancestors process their diet, which included much tougher foods than those we eat today. Additionally, these early humans had no routine dental care, so they were far more likely to lose their other teeth, and the third molars were standing by as a replacement. However, modern humans have much smaller jaws and there is not enough room for these…

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