Merrick Oral Surgery

The jaw is the foundation for the structure and shape of the entire face! As such, it is vital to oral health. A protruding jaw or one that is recessed inward is not only odd looking but can cause serious problems later on. The best thing to do is see an oral-maxillofacial surgeon.

You probably brush your teeth twice a day and use them pretty rigorously when you eat, but can you guess the number of chompers in your mouth? If you have a full set, that comes out to 32 teeth in all.

Cleft lip and palate are the most common craniofacial deformity. This occurs in the womb, when the lip and palate, or roof of the mouth, do not completely fuse together.

There are gray areas in dental insurance that one insurance policy may claim another insurance policy should cover. Some of these gray areas include oral surgery, TMJ disorder, and others. Because this can be frustrating, make sure you know exactly what your policies cover, and which is responsible for what type of care.

Oral surgeons are dental specialists who treat conditions, defects, injuries, and the aesthetic aspects of the mouth, teeth, jaws, and face. This could include the chin and cheeks. They can also replace lost teeth with dental implants, remove tumors, and reconstruct faces injured by trauma.

A common question about oral surgery is how long afterwards you’ll be off of work or school. Everyone heals differently and handles stress to the body in a different way, but most people generally take two days to a week to feel well enough to go back.

Over the centuries, dentistry has been embraced as a side job by surgeons, barbers and other professionals and amateurs. Care to guess how long anthropologists believe dentists have been plying their trade? If you guessed 5,000 years or so, you're right.

Have you lost a tooth due to an accident or infection? Unless it is a rear molar with no tooth underneath, you will need a dental implant as a replacement. These are anchored to the jawbone to provide the same stability as your natural teeth.

Did you know there are some systemic conditions that are linked with periodontal disease? These include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and preterm or premature birth.

Unlike surgeries performed on other parts of the body where doctors may discover complications, oral surgery is completely planned before the actual procedure, making it one of the safest surgical procedures you can undergo.

You know flossing is the best way to avoid pesky bacteria that can hide between teeth. Care to guess the ideal length for a convenient strip of dental floss? If you guessed 18 inches or so, you're right. It's long enough to wrap around your fingers for a tighter grip.

Have you noticed that swelling has increased a couple days after your oral surgery? There is no need to worry. Swelling does not generally subside completely for ten days, but to minimize discomfort in the meantime, you can apply ice packs starting after the first 24 hours.

Wisdom teeth are vestigial organs left over from a time when humans ate more abrasive seeds and plants. The extra teeth would have allowed for more chewing, while wear on the teeth would have provided more room in the jawline.

Most bone grafting procedures are done to restore bone to its previous form following an accident, trauma, or extensive gum disease. Bone grafting can also be done to maintain bone structure after tooth loss or a tooth extraction.

Tooth extractions are most often done on wisdom teeth, although an extraction can be performed on any tooth that is unhealthy or damaged as a result of injury or illness. Indeed, tooth extractions are also done for economical, aesthetic, positional, or structural reasons.

What is a vestigial organ? Scientists believe that the human body is continuing to evolve, and some body parts that seem to play no pivotal role may soon disappear from the body in thousands of years. Many scientists consider wisdom teeth as vestigial, because people's mouths have become smaller, and the need to process and handle raw plants and meats has given way to much softer foods.

Almost 40% of the world population is suffering from a misaligned jaw. This often equates with painful eating and in some cases painful speaking. The good news is that oral-maxillofacial surgery can correct this condition, bringing about a greatly improved quality of life.

Root canals are performed on patients to save a tooth from extraction. The tooth’s nerves are removed to relieve pain from inflammations and infections. This is a cost-effective way of saving your teeth.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, monks were the primary practitioners of oral surgery in Europe. This changed in the twelfth century, when a papal edict forbade clergy from performing such practices. Barbers, who already assisted monks, took up the slack.

Oral-maxillofacial surgery brings a multitude of benefits, including improved chewing and swallowing and the alleviation of joint pain. Jaw straining because the mouth will not close all the way will disappear, making it possible to chew, smile, and speak with greater ease and comfort.

Digital X-rays are best used to assure proper bone density and placement when working with dental and maxillofacial implants. The digital images can be enlarged and analyzed to help determine that best actions are taken and the best results achieved.

If your oral health problems have progressed to a point that you experience pain or problematic symptoms, there is a good chance that you may need to have oral surgery. This could involve removing teeth, realigning the jaw, or removing gum tissue from the mouth.

A complete cleft lip goes all the way from the lip into the nostril, but an incomplete cleft lip stops before reaching the nose. Two-sided cleft, called bilateral, is the least common type.

Oral surgeons are committed to patient comfort. While it’s common to have mild discomfort with any type of surgery, you shouldn’t have to worry about severe pain with oral surgery, as long as you follow your doctor’s orders.

What is the temporomandibular joint? Commonly referred to as the TMJ, this is the joint just in front of the ear that controls movement for the lower jaw. When there is a misalignment or other abnormality, oral surgery can help to correct the disorder.

Unequal jaw growth is not an uncommon problem. It can affect eating, speaking, and even breathing. In some cases, oral surgery is the best treatment. A surgeon will reposition the upper or lower jaw - or both - to solve the problem.

Patients with healthy gums and enough bone to support a dental implant make the best dental implant recipients. However, in most cases, almost anyone of any age can have dental implants so long as they are not heavy smokers or consume an overabundance of alcohol on a regular basis.

Wisdom teeth frequently fail to erupt properly, but upper canines can be impacted as well. Since these teeth are essential for tearing food, an oral surgeon will do everything possible to get the tooth to grow in, often with the assistance of orthodontics.

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Whether the cause is a birth defect or an injury, some people encounter significant difficulties because of a jaw that is not aligned properly or upper and lower jaws that grow at different rates. Jaw surgery by an oral surgeon can correct the misalignment of the jaws.

Did you know a chronic sore throat can be a sign of oral cancer? Other signs are difficulty chewing, speaking, or swallowing. Unexplained pain or tenderness in the face or jaw are also symptoms. If you have any of these, tell your oral surgeon at your next appointment.

Where is the hardest substance on your body located? If you guessed in your mouth, you're right. Tooth enamel is by far the hardest natural substance in humans and other mammals.

Although orthodontics can correct many alignment issues, a severe misalignment of the jaw can require much more than braces. If you’re ready to improve the way your teeth meet, it may be necessary to see an oral surgeon.

There is no single reason for a person to develop sleep apnea. The main triggers for serious sleep apnea cases involve obstructions of the upper airway that block breathing for as long as 91 seconds. In very serious sleep apnea cases, the pattern of blocked breathing can reappear as many as 500 times in a single night.

Do you play a wind instrument? It’s important to remember not to play aggressively for about 10-14 days after oral surgery. You can usually play your instrument casually after a few days, however.