Oral surgery is a specialized field of dentistry that focuses on diagnosing and treating deformities, injuries, and invasive diseases in or near the mouth. More involved than general dental care, oral surgery is often required to correct deep-seated foundational problems that can affect your mouth’s proper function, or when dental disease penetrates deeply enough to require surgery to extract it. As part of our dedication to helping you maintain all aspects of your oral health, we explore some of the conditions that may require the expertise of an oral surgeon.
The Benefits of Oral Surgery
TMJ Disorder (TMD) Treatment
TMJ disorder describes a condition in which your jaw’s joints, called TMJs, are damage or misaligned, placing excessive strain on your jaw’s muscles and irritating the nerve that innervates most of your craniofacial structure. In most cases, conservative treatments like a mouthguard to stop teeth-grinding or relaxation techniques to ease the stress on your jaw’s muscles. If a serious injury or jaw deformity is the cause of your disorder, however, than surgery may be needed to realign or correct your jaw.
Severe Tooth Infection
When tooth decay penetrates your tooth’s main structure, called dentin, the issue can usually be rectified by removing the infected material and replacing it with a dental filling. If tooth decay is allowed to progress, however, it can infect the blood vessels and nerves at the center (pulp) of the tooth. Oral surgeons are specially trained to perform root canal procedures and apicoectomies—the removal of a tooth root’s tip to prevent the spread of infection into the surrounding gum tissue and jawbone.
Dental Implant Placement
Dental implants are biocompatible posts that are inserted into the jawbone and anchor a dental crown, partial denture, or complete denture to replace one or more lost teeth. Placing the dental implant posts requires surgical expertise and careful planning using advanced diagnostic equipment, and is therefore best performed by an oral surgeon.
ABOUT YOUR CERRITOS, CA, ORAL SURGEON:
Dr. Shawn Hofkes and the staff at Cerritos Dental Surgery are highly qualified to address complex issues, including those that require oral surgery to correct. To schedule an appointment or consultation with Dr. Hofkes, contact us today by calling 562-584-4082. We proudly serve patients of all ages from Cerritos, Lakewood, Long Beach, Buena Park, and all surrounding communities.
