Oral Surgeon

When bone density drops below a certain level, a bone graft may be necessary to protect the future of the teeth and gums. Bone grafts can be taken from the patient, from another human (usually a cadaver) or an animal source.

Bone grafting procedures that are done within the upper portion of your mouth are referred to as sinus lifts or augmentations. This is because the sinus cavities are located next to the areas where the oral surgeon will be working.

If you are one of the many people with at least one missing tooth, you may require ridge augmentation. During this procedure, Dr. Lilian or Dr. Beehner will reshape the area where the natural tooth once sat, creating a more attractive and healthy contour.

When a natural tooth can no longer be kept in place due to advanced decay, cracks or other reasons, an extraction may be indicated. During this process, the oral surgeon will use an anesthetic to make certain the patient is comfortable. After the tooth extraction site has healed, the patient may be referred to a prosthodontist for dental implants.

TMJ disorder, also known as temporomandibular joint and muscle disorder, is a condition during which the jawbone “sticks” or seems to lock in place. TMJ sufferers often report intense pain, especially when they awaken. An oral surgeon can help diagnose and successfully treat TMJ.

Oral surgeons are specialists in the treatment of facial injuries and have completed many additional years of schooling beyond dental school in the management and long-term treatment of facial trauma. Our oral surgeons Dr. Lilian and Dr. Beehner are able to expertly treat facial lacerations, intra oral lacerations, knocked out (avulsed) teeth, fractured facial bones (cheek, nose, eye), and fractured jaws (upper or lower).

A surgeon may perform orthognathic surgery, or jaw surgery, when the upper and lower jaw do not meet correctly or if the teeth do not fit with the jaws. Corrective jaw surgery repositions a misaligned jaw and allows the teeth to function properly and improves the aesthetics of a person’s smile.

Wisdom teeth extraction is performed to remove the third set of adult molars. Adults typically have their third set of molars by the age of 18 and many people experience pain or discomfort as the third set of molars grows in. Wisdom teeth can cause misalignment of the teeth as the other teeth shift and move to make room for the wisdom teeth. They may also grow in sideways, partially emerge or remain trapped below the gums in the bone. However wisdom teeth erupt, they rarely grow in without causing issues to surrounding teeth and jaw. Wisdom teeth extraction helps prevent these issues by removing the teeth before they have the opportunity to erupt or when they partially erupt.

Our specialists practice many types of dental implant procedures depending on the needs of the patient. One of the most widely appreciated are All-on-4 implants from the manufacturing and training experts at Nobel Biocare. These revolutionary implants are ideal for people who have lost several teeth in a row, and who want a fast way to get a natural appearance.