Westlake Oral and Plastic Surgery

A Saturday well spent teaching other specialists the Straumann Allograft Ring Technique for simultaneous bone grafting and implant placement. Great way to save both you and your patient time and an extra surgical step! #innovation #straumann #allograftring #dentalimplants #oralsurgery #straumann

Painless wisdom teeth do not mean they will not cause problems down the road. All wisdom teeth should be professionally evaluated, and if your teeth are healthy enough, they won’t need to be removed. However, you should continue to have regular cleanings and check-ups to make sure your wisdom teeth remain healthy.

When wisdom teeth do not emerge from the gums properly and the gum tissue partially covers the molar, this can lead to irritation or a painful infection known as pericoronitis. If you are experiencing any pain, bad breath, or swelling around your newly emerging wisdom teeth, be sure to have your wisdom teeth examined as soon as possible because these could be signs of pericoronitis.

While dentures are an option for replacing missing teeth, they can make it difficult to eat or talk when wearing them, and patients may have to eliminate certain foods from their diets entirely. However, dentures are not the only tooth replacement option out there. #dentalimplants can provide a solution that look and function like natural teeth, so you can eat food and talk without worry.

Your posture can influence more than just your outward appearance. Adjusting your posture can help prevent jaw pain in the future, but if you currently have jaw pain, contact our office today.

When wisdom teeth are not removed, they can cause pain, infection, or misaligned teeth. While not everyone needs their wisdom teeth removed, everyone should have their teeth evaluated to see what treatment option works best for their smile.

The treatment process involving orthognathic surgery is a long-term commitment, but the results are life-changing as patients regain the ability to eat, speak, and smile more comfortably. To learn more about orthognathic surgery, contact our office today!

Sometimes there is not enough bone structure to anchor a dental implant, but there are bone grafting treatments available to help your dental implant procedure be a success. Bone grafting adds organic or synthetic material to create more jawbone mass, which will help support the dental implant.

Orthognathic surgery can correct the position of the jaw to improve its function, but oftentimes it needs to be paired with orthodontic treatment. While orthognathic surgery addresses the placement of the jaw, orthodontics helps align the teeth and make sure that they fit with the new position of the jaw.

Diabetes increases the risk of infection due to its’ effect on the immune system, causing healing to be slower. However, these factors do not necessarily mean someone can’t be a candidate for dental implants. To learn if dental implants are right for you, contact our office today!

On the top and bottom arches of our mouths, there are three molars on the left side and three on the right side of each arch. In these groups of three, the molar located the farthest back is the third molar (also known as a wisdom tooth), and they tend to emerge from the gums during young adulthood.

An impacted wisdom tooth does not emerge from the gums and can only be seen through imaging. Patients may experience pain, swelling, bad breath, and headaches due to an impacted tooth, but it’s possible to not experience any symptoms at all.