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Member of the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons

PROCEDURES

What is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS)?

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are medical and dental specialists who treat conditions, defects, injuries, and esthetic aspects of the mouth, teeth, jaws, and face. Their training includes a minimum four-year graduate degree in dentistry and the completion of a minimum four-year hospital surgical residency program. Many Oral Surgeons also have a medical degree and most complete additional advanced training in sub-specialties.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons care for patients who experience such conditions as problem wisdom teeth, facial pain, and misaligned jaws. They treat accident victims suffering facial injuries, offer reconstructive and dental implant surgery, and care for patients with tumors and cysts of the jaws and functional and esthetic conditions of the maxillofacial areas.

With specialized knowledge in pain control and advanced training in anesthesia, the oral and maxillofacial surgeon is able to provide quality care with maximum patient comfort and safety in both the office and the hospital setting.

The Oral and maxillofacial surgeon will work closely with your own dentist and other medical and dental specialties to provide you with the best possible care.

Dr Karen Robinson, consults in all the various aspects of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

She performs a wide range of oral and maxillofacial procedures including the following:

Tooth extraction (also known as Exodontia)

Extraction is the term given to a tooth extraction and can also be known as Exodontia. Tooth extraction is the removal of a tooth from its socket in the bone. Extraction of a tooth can be performed for any number of reasons including positional, structural, or economic reasons. Teeth are often removed because they are impacted (lack of space between teeth). Teeth become impacted when they are prevented from growing into their normal position in the mouth by gum tissue, bone, or other teeth. Impaction is a common reason for the extraction of wisdom teeth. Extraction is the only known method that will prevent further problems.

Teeth may also be extracted to make more room in the mouth prior to straightening the remaining teeth (orthodontic treatment), or because they are so badly positioned that straightening is impossible. Extraction may be used to remove teeth that are so badly decayed or broken that they cannot be restored. Sometimes extractions are chosen as a less expensive alternative to filling or placing a crown on a severely decayed tooth.

Sedation

We know that may people have anxieties about having extractions or other dental procedures and seek out an Oral Surgeon so that they can "go to sleep" during the surgery. Dr. Robinson is certified by the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology to administer various types of sedation. During your consultation, she will discuss the options that may be appropriate for your planned surgical procedures.

Dental Implants

Injury, periodontal disease or tooth decay can all lead to loss of teeth. This experience can be traumatic and affect self-confidence as well as contribute to further dental problems. Dental implants are a practical solution to what may feel like an overwhelming dilemma. A dental implant is essentially a man-made tooth root. These implants resemble the natural form of a tooth root. The implant is placed beneath the gum and fuses to the bone in the jaw.

Today's technology in both implantology and bone grafting allow a wide range of individuals to be candidates for this procedure. Working with your dentist, and in just a few hours, under local or general anesthesia, Dr. Robinson can help you begin the process that will have your teeth looking amazing and feeling natural.

Wisdom Tooth Removal Wisdom teeth usually erupt in one’s late teens or mid twenties; this is considered the age of wisdom. They generally appear as the last teeth behind the upper and lower second molars. Described as a “vestigial trait” or function that is no longer relevant; wisdom teeth are more problematic than anything else.

Your mouth is made to accommodate 28 teeth, so when those extra third molars (wisdom teeth) arrive bacteria can get into the area around them, causing infection which leads to swelling, sometimes an unpleasant odor and pain which may affect the jawbones or neck. Dr. Robinson is experienced in the removal of impacted or erupted wisdom teeth. Call for a consultation today.

Bone grafting

Over a period of time, the jawbone associated with missing teeth atrophies or is reabsorbed. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone suitable for placement of dental implants. In these situations, most patients are not candidates for placement of dental implants.

Today, we have the ability to grow bone where needed. This not only gives us the opportunity to place implants of proper length and width, it also gives us a chance to restore functionality and esthetic appearance.

Oral Pathology

The inside of the mouth is normally lined with a special type of skin (mucosa) that is smooth and coral pink in color. Any alteration in this appearance could be a warning sign for a pathological process. The most serious of these is oral cancer. The following can be signs at the beginning of a pathologic process or cancerous growth:

Reddish patches (erythroplasia) or whitish patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth
A sore that fails to heal and bleeds easily
A lump or thickening on the skin lining the inside of the mouth
Chronic sore throat or hoarseness
Difficulty in chewing or swallowing

These changes can be detected on the lips, cheeks, palate and gum tissue around the teeth, tongue, face and/or neck. Pain does not always occur with pathology, and curiously, is not often associated with oral cancer. However, any patient with facial and/or oral pain without an obvious cause or reason may also be at risk for oral cancer.

We would recommend performing an oral cancer self-examination monthly and remember that your mouth is one of your body's most important warning systems. Do not ignore suspicious lumps or sores. Please contact us so we may help.

Apicoectomy

Generally, a root canal is all that is needed to save teeth with injured pulp from extraction. Occasionally, this non-surgical procedure will not be sufficient to heal the tooth and your endodontist will recommend surgery. Endodontic surgery can be used to locate fractures or hidden canals that do not appear on x-rays but still manifest pain in the tooth. Damaged root surfaces or the surrounding bone may also be treated with this procedure. The most common surgery used to save damaged teeth is an apicoectomy or root-end resection.

When an apicoectomy is performed, an incision is made in the gum tissue to expose the bone and surrounding inflamed tissue. The damaged tissue is removed along with the end of the root tip. A root-end filling is placed to prevent re-infection of the root and the gum is sutured. The bone naturally heals around the root over a period of months restoring full function.

Frenectomy

A frenectomy is the surgical removal of frenulum or frenum, which is a thin band of tissue found in various parts of the body, especially the mouth. A frenectomy is a common surgical procedure in dental and orthodontic practices. Children and people being fitted for dentures are the most frequent candidates for a frenectomy.

There are two primary locations in the mouth where frenum is found – under the tongue and underneath the center of the upper lip. The frenum attaches the muscles of the cheeks and lips to the mouth, but in some cases, this tissue may interfere with the development of the mouth. In the event that the tissue, or frenum, is attached to close to the tip of the tongue or too far down the gums between the front teeth, a frenectomy may be performed.