Oral Surgery
Oral surgery can safely address various oral health problems, including impacted wisdom teeth, severe cavities, and infections of the tooth pulp. At Las Positas Family Dental in Livermore, California, Thi Hoang, DDS, Theresa Hoang, DDS, and the team offer comprehensive oral surgery solutions, including wisdom teeth extractions, dental implant placement, and root canal therapy. Call the office to schedule an oral surgery consultation, or book one online today.
My tooth hurts. Will I need oral surgery?
Oral surgery is any operative procedure used to treat problems with the teeth, gums, jaws, or surrounding structures. The Las Positas Family Dental team regularly performs oral surgery, but they recommend more conservative treatments whenever possible.
Sleep apnea
Gum disease
Bone loss in your jaw
Impacted teeth
Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ)
Extensive tooth decay
Oral surgery provides a safe and effective treatment option for oral cancer and benign (noncancerous) growths and abscesses.
What are some common types of oral surgery?
The Las Positas Family Dental team offers several types of oral surgery, including:
Wisdom teeth removal
The wisdom teeth (third molars) are the last of your permanent teeth to break through your gumline. Because they come in after all your other teeth, they’re more likely to become impacted or blocked.
During wisdom teeth removal, your dentist makes small incisions in your gums to access your wisdom teeth. Then, they split your wisdom teeth into smaller sections and remove them one at a time.
Dental implants
Dental implants are small metal posts your dentist inserts into your empty tooth sockets. The implants fuse with your bone after placement and provide a base for crowns, bridges, or implant-supported dentures.
Simple extractions
Your dentist might recommend a simple extraction if you have a deep cavity or a severely broken or damaged tooth.
Your Las Positas Family Dental provider uses dental forceps to gently loosen and pull your tooth from its socket.
Root Canal
Root canal therapy is an oral surgery to treat inflamed or infected tooth pulp.
During a root canal, your dentist removes the pulp from the center of your tooth, cleans it out, and fills it with a material called gutta-percha. A root canal stops the infection from spreading and preserves your
natural tooth.
No matter what type of oral surgery you get, you should check with the Las Positas Family Dental team to see if you need a driver. Some oral surgeries require different anesthesia types, and your provider can let you know if planning to have a driver is necessary.
I have sensitive teeth. Is oral surgery painful?
Oral surgery is safe and typically well-tolerated. Any operative procedure presents risks, but the Las Positas Family Dental team takes great care to ensure a comfortable treatment experience.
Before surgery, your provider administers a local anesthetic, numbing your mouth. Depending on your needs, they may also recommend sedation dentistry, such as nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or twilight sedation.
Call Las Positas Family Dental to see if you can benefit from oral surgery, or book your appointment online today.