Oral Surgery in Kent, WA
If you’ve been told you need oral surgery to address a dental problem, you can feel confident in the skill and experience of Dr. Amrita Majumdar, who is devoted to ensuring your complete comfort and safety during and after your procedure. Dr. Amrita will make every effort possible to educate you about the problem you are facing and how he plans to treat it and restore your complete oral health and function.
Impacted Teeth Extraction
In the case of a damaged, decayed or malpositioned tooth, Dr. Amrita will do everything in his power to save your tooth. However, sometimes there is no other solution for a failing tooth other than to extract it — meaning, remove it from its socket in the jawbone. This is true if you have teeth that have suffered extensive decay or damage, or teeth that are impacted, which means they form in a position where they cannot properly grow into your bite. If left in the mouth, an impacted tooth could seriously jeopardize your surrounding teeth as well as your bite and overall oral health.
There are two types of tooth extractions: simple and surgical. A simple tooth extraction is usually performed on a tooth that is visible in the mouth, and the procedure can often be done under local anesthetic. A surgical tooth extraction is more complex and often involves a tooth that cannot be seen or reached in the mouth. Perhaps the tooth has not fully erupted, or maybe it has broken off at the gumline. A surgical tooth extraction may be done with local anesthesia or possibly conscious sedation. The extraction may require removing bone, lifting and/or removing gum tissue to reveal the impacted tooth or fragmenting the tooth into pieces to make it easier to remove.
Once the impacted tooth has been removed from its socket, sutures or stitches are used to close the gum tissue. Occasionally, bone grafting is needed at the extraction site as well.
Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Many tooth extractions involve wisdom teeth, which are the third set of molars and last teeth to grow into your mouth. Because they are the last teeth to “erupt,” they are more likely to develop problems. Some wisdom teeth surface partially or sideways, and others become trapped beneath the gums because they do not have enough room to grow in properly. If left in the mouth, impacted wisdom teeth can cause complications like jaw pain, sinus problems or movement of the surrounding teeth.
Wisdom tooth extraction can prevent these complications. It is a common procedure but more complicated in cases where the wisdom teeth have not yet erupted. During wisdom tooth extraction, your tooth may be separated into small pieces to make it easier to remove from your mouth. Once the tooth is removed, the surgical site will be closed with stitches or sutures.
Other Oral Surgery Procedures
In addition to surgical tooth extraction, oral surgery procedures include the following:
- Corrective jaw surgery (orthognathic surgery)
- Placement of dental implants
- Bone grafting for dental implants
- Surgery to improve the fit of dentures by shaping and smoothing the jawbone as needed
- Treatment of oral cancer
- Biopsy or removal of lesions
Depending on your particular oral surgery needs, Dr. Amrita may refer you to another trusted specialist for treatment.
