Sometimes, maintaining your best oral health requires more than preventive and restorative dentistry. There are often cases when oral surgery is necessary to supplement the basics that a dentist can provide. At Cowlitz River Dental, your dentist can also be your oral surgeon. Dr. Kennington has the training and credentials to perform oral surgery in Castle Rock, WA, so you’ll be more comfortable knowing that your smile is in trustworthy and familiar care.
Extracting Wisdom Teeth in Castle Rock
One of the most frequent oral surgeries that Dr. Kennington performs is wisdom teeth removal. Also called third molars, these often large teeth are located in back of your other molars. They usually appear between the ages of 17 and 25 and they can either erupt or remain impacted, meaning they are stuck beneath your gum tissue. The trouble with wisdom teeth is that they can trap bacteria and cause infection. They can also increase your risk of periodontal disease.
The solution is often to extract these teeth before problems develop. Dr. Kennington will make a small incision in your gum tissue over the tooth and carefully remove it. Sometimes this necessitates cutting the tooth into smaller sections in order to more gently take it out. When this oral surgery is completed, Dr. Kennington sutures the site and you are given instructions on how to care for your mouth during recovery.
Dental Implants and Bone Grafting
For patients who suffer from tooth loss, dental implants restore both the root and crown of a tooth. The implant is a small titanium screw that Castle rock dentist Dr. Kennington embeds in your jaw during oral surgery. After you’ve healed, the tooth restoration—a porcelain crown for a single implant or a partial or implant-retained denture for several teeth—is attached to the implant. Sufficient bone density and dimensions are required for the implant to remain securely in place, so for those patients who have lost bone Dr. Kennington can perform bone grafting surgery to increase bone volume and density where needed.
Frenectomy
A frenectomy is performed when a patient (often a baby) is tongue-tied. This mean that the thin tether of tissue under the tongue connects too far forward and makes eating and swallowing difficult. In older individuals, this tissue can tug at the gums causing recession. With careful oral surgery, Dr. Kennington severs the connection – usually with a laser.
For Oral Surgery, Call Your Castle Rock Dentist Today
Regardless of the type of oral surgery you or a family member needs to maintain or restore oral health, sedation dentistry in Castle Rock can make the procedure less unsettling. Depending on the type of oral surgery required and your level of anxiety, Dr. Kennington will recommend nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation or IV sedation. Contact Cowlitz River Dental to discuss any oral surgery needs.