Dental Surgeons in Barrie—Oral Surgery at Georgian Dental®

When most people think about dentistry, they only think about their teeth. They think about going to the dentist for cleaning and checkups, the occasional filling or extraction, braces, or perhaps implants or dentures.

But the truth is that dentistry is about all matters of oral health. Teeth are important, of course, but so are the gums and the jaw. At Georgian Dental®, we prefer to take a holistic approach to dentistry, and we’re deeply committed to protecting the health of your entire mouth, which unfortunately sometimes requires performing advanced dental surgery.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what oral surgery is while also discussing some of the surgeries we do regularly. We’ll focus specifically on dental implants, pinhole techniques for treating the gums, and the extraction of wisdom teeth.

What is Oral Surgery?

Oral surgery is a catch-all term for any extension of dentistry that involves cutting into the tissue of the mouth. This is done usually to expose something beneath the gums, such as an impacted wisdom tooth, or to remove tissue for any reason.

These surgeries are usually performed by oral surgeons, dentists who have specialized training over and above the standard degree in dentistry and focus their practice in this area.

In general, there’s less to worry about in dental surgery than there is in medical surgery. Most operations can be done in a regular dentist’s office, the surgeries don’t last long, recovery times are quick, and complications involved—if any—are usually minor.

Dental Implant Surgery

Regrettably, adult teeth aren’t always permanent. They could fracture, fall prey to advanced tooth decay, or be damaged in a fall or collision. In the old days, we often corrected these problems with removable dentures and dental bridges—the kind you’d pop out and leave in a glass on the nightstand. Today, though, we prefer to use dental implants, titanium frames that surgically attach to your jawbone underneath your gums.

Once this frame is in place, dentures and bridges can be mounted directly onto it. Not only do the replacement teeth look natural, but they won’t slip or pop out or interfere with everyday activities like eating and talking.

If you have adequate jawbone and healthy gums, you could be an ideal candidate for dental implants.

All-on-4 implants

Dentures used to be a dentist’s tool of last resort. But now, thanks to modern technology and innovation, you can replace missing teeth with implants that look, feel, and function just like the real thing.

All-On-4 implants are built on a revolutionary system that functions just like natural teeth and lets you enjoy all manner of food regardless of how crunchy it is.

This fast, efficient, and simple solution can even replace a full set of teeth. The system uses four implants, specially designed and placed, that hold your replacement teeth anchored in place. This fully customizable system offers complete rehabilitation for tooth loss—all without any bone grafts. And recovery time is minimal. You can use your replacement teeth immediately after surgery.

Implant-supported dentures

A convenient halfway point between traditional dentures and the All-on-4 method, implant-supported dentures are a set of removable replacement teeth held fast by dental implants. This can be a great alternative to traditional dentures if you have enough jawbone to support the implants. Everything stays in place, letting you speak and eat normally, but you have the option of removing them for cleaning and while sleeping.

Implant-supported dentures can use either bar-retainers or ball-retainers. The dentures have acrylic bases that look just like your gums. Attached to this base are veneers made of either porcelain or acrylic that function just like natural teeth.

Implant restoration

While the above solutions work great when you have many teeth to replace. But sometimes your restoration needs are less severe. Implants allow for replacing single teeth as necessary by attaching an artificial root to the jaw that holds a replacement tooth or bridge securely in place.

Implants give your replacement teeth stability without the need to extract still healthy teeth to make way for dentures. A popular choice with our patients, implants look and feel just like natural teeth, restoring your smile to its former glory—and maybe even improving upon it.

Gum Recession Surgery – Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST™)

A breakthrough in the treatment of receding gums, the Pinhole Surgical Technique is the safe, effective alternative to gum grafting you’ve been waiting for. PST rejuvenates receding gums and reduces the likelihood of tooth loss by adding gum height and re-covering exposed tooth roots.

The procedure uses mesenchymal stem cells to grow new gum tissue, leaving your gums thicker and more resilient. You’ll be amazed by how quickly you’ll see results.

The PST treatment is virtually painless with most patients reporting very little discomfort. And you won’t feel any of the rawness and pain experienced by patients of more traditional gum grafts.

Wisdom Tooth Extraction Surgery

Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to grow in. They’re the four very back molars that usually don’t erupt until your late teens or early twenties. But sometimes they don’t grow in right either because there isn’t enough room left in the jaw or the tooth has come in at the wrong angle. When this happened, the tooth is impacted in the gum tissue. And impacted wisdom teeth could lead to tender, swollen gums—and possibly severe pain. In a worst-case scenario, partially erupted wisdom teeth could cause tooth decay, infections, and maybe even gum disease.

Wisdom teeth are problematic for two reasons. Their roots are sometimes not fully formed, and they grow in areas where the supporting bone tends to be less dense. That’s why we usually recommend the extraction of wisdom teeth shortly after they grow in. But don’t worry—these same factors make wisdom teeth relatively easy to extract. And the recovery period is short, too. And Dr. Tan uses IV sedation for all his wisdom teeth patients. You’ll sleep right through the procedure without noticing a thing.

While you’re sleeping, the dentist will use a local anesthetic to numb your entire jaw. Sometimes wisdom teeth are still under your gums or perhaps even embedded in your jawbone. If the latter is the case, a portion of bone may have to be removed first before the wisdom tooth can be extracted. To minimize bone loss, the tooth is sectioned and removed in pieces through the smallest opening possible.

Once your tooth or teeth are out, the healing begins. Healing time varies on a case-by-case basis, of course, depending on the difficulty involved in each scenario. But our team will guide you through the process and give you all the information you need to heal efficiently and as comfortably as possible.

The Holistic Dentistry Approach to Oral Health

Dentistry is about so much more than just taking care of your teeth. At Georgian Dental®, we take a holistic approach that’s concerned with the health of your gums and jawbone as well. Sure, your teeth are the star players in your smile, but they need a lot of help from the supporting players that hold them in place and enable them to shine.

Georgian Dental® – Serving All Oral Health Concerns in the Barrie Community

If you require more involved dental work such as implants for bridges or dentures, treatment for gum recession, or the extraction of wisdom teeth, contact Georgian Dental® today for your no-obligation consultation – we’re here to help.