Aligning Your Smile: Why You’re Seeing An Oral Surgeon

When you venture into the world of orthodontics to get your smile sorted out, so it’s straight and beautiful, you might not recognize that it can become quite the journey. For some issues, you’ll only need to see your orthodontist. However, in some cases, such as when overcrowding is your concern, you just might need to see an oral surgeon for part of your experience. Not sure why this might be necessary? We can explain with ease!

What Happens With Overcrowding

Before we begin talking about the particulars of what you can expect from your oral surgeon, let’s first review what it means if you have overcrowding. Just like it sounds, the space in your mouth is crowded with teeth! When this occurs, your teeth cannot rest flush side-by-side as they are meant to, so you end up with problems like teeth that overlap each other, crooked teeth, and other related concerns. The first goal of your orthodontic care is usually to free up some room, so you are then primed and ready for alignment.

What You Can Expect

You are likely being sent to see an oral surgeon at our practice by your orthodontist because you will need dental extractions. As mentioned, you need additional space in order to get your smile into alignment. This usually means removing some of your teeth because they cannot all be in there at once. Not to worry, your orthodontist has a plan to create a balanced bite, so in this case, it is perfectly safe for your oral health for you to have teeth extracted.

See Your Oral Surgeon For An Extraction!

When you need an extraction for your orthodontic care plan, come on in to learn more and to further your treatment. To schedule an appointment or consultation with Dr. Hofkes, contact us today by calling 562-584-4082. We proudly welcome patients of all ages from Cerritos, CA, and all surrounding communities, such as Lakewood, Long Beach, Buena Park, and more.