Eagle River Dental
General Dentistry located in Eagle River, AK
Dental surgery can serve a variety of purposes, including extracting a decayed tooth or removing problematic wisdom teeth. At Eagle River Dental, the team of dentists provides effective, safe dental surgery at the office in Eagle River, Alaska. They only resort to dental surgery after exhausting more conservative measures. To find out more about dental surgery, call or use the online booking tool today.
Oral Surgery Q & A
What is dental surgery?
The term “surgery” often makes you think of long hospital stays and painful procedures. Dental surgery refers to different types of procedures involving your mouth, teeth, and gums.
What are different types of dental surgery?
The most common type of dental surgery the team at Eagle River Dental performs is tooth extraction. However, there are different reasons for tooth extractions.
If the health of one of your teeth has declined to a point beyond saving, a simple extraction would be recommended. In this case, typically under local anesthesia, your dentist will use a special dental tool to pull the tooth out.
Surgical extractions are more complicated and often involve removing teeth that are impacted, such as wisdom teeth. Your wisdom teeth, or third molars, come in during your young-adult years after all of your permanent teeth are already in. They often don’t have sufficient room and end up causing crowding and other problems. The result can be painful.
Removing your wisdom teeth generally requires cutting through bone and tissue, and also removing the teeth in pieces. There is a recovery process involved, sometimes up to a week, during which you must eat soft foods and rest.
Dental surgery is also used to place implants into your jawbone for the purpose of supporting replacement teeth.
How do I know if I need dental surgery?
Problems like impacted wisdom teeth or severely decayed teeth typically are accompanied by symptoms, such as a toothache, searing pain, sometimes even unsightly changes to your teeth. If you notice any of these signs, it’s always best to come into the office and have your dentist take a look. They can help determine if surgery would be the best course of treatment.
Also, during your routine checkups, your dentist will look for common dental problems and evaluate the need for surgery. Missing teeth can also prompt the need for dental surgery, such as placing dental implants to attach prosthetic teeth and fill gaps in your smile.
Is dental surgery safe?
Yes, when it’s performed by one of the dentists at Eagle River Dental, dental surgery is perfectly safe. In some cases, anesthesia will be involved, but only after you and your dentist talk the matter through.
Anesthesia can help minimize discomfort and alleviate anxiety associated with a specific procedure. During your visits leading up to surgery, you will have plenty of time to ask questions about your upcoming procedure and have all of your concerns addressed.
To find out more about dental surgery at Eagle River Dental, call or book a consultation online today.
