A number of conditions may require oral surgery, including:

• Tooth Extractions:

Teeth are extracted for a variety of reasons:

• Decay has reached deep into the tooth
• Infection has destroyed a large portion of the tooth or surrounding bone
• There is not enough room for all the teeth in your mouth

• Impacted Teeth:

Wisdom teeth, otherwise known as third molars, are the last set of teeth to develop.  Sometimes these teeth emerge from the gum line and jaw is large enough to allow room for them, but most of the time this is not the case.  More often, one or more of these third molars fails to emerge in proper alignment or fails to fully emerge through the gum lime and becomes entrapped or "impacted" between the jawbone and the gum tissue.  Impacted wisdom teeth can result in swelling, pain, and infection of the gum tissue surrounding the wisdom teeth.

• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder:

Dystunction of the TMJ, the small joint in front of the ear where the skull and lower jaw meet, is a common source of headache and facial pain.  Most patients with TMJ disorders can be successfully treated with a combination of oral medications, physical therapy, and splints. However, join surgery is an option for advanced cases and when the diagnosis indicates a specific problem in the joint.

• Lesion removal and biopsy:

The doctor can take a small sample of an abnormal growth or tissue and send it for laboratory testing for identification.  Some lesions can be managed medically or can be removed by an oral surgeon.

Call us today at 724-437-5010 for an evaluation if you think you may benefit from oral surgery.