Oral Surgery
Bone Grafting
We can only imagine what our bodies would look like without bones. This scaffolding provides support, form and protection to everything around it. The bone around your teeth, alveolar bone, serves to hold the teeth firmly in place. The particular height, shape, and density of this specialized bone can be compromised by gum disease, tooth removal, or other forms of trauma.
If bone shrinks away around your teeth, it never grows back. In some cases, bone can be encouraged to fill in with grafting materials placed by Dr. Curfew. Every situation offers a different scenario, but more options than ever exist to promote bone repair in the jaw. For example, when a tooth needs removal a large hole then exists in the bone. While it will fill in naturally, the site tends to shrink, drawing bone away from the area. Grafting materials can be placed simply at the time of tooth removal to help preserve the bone. Grafts prove especially beneficial if you’d like to consider an implant-supported replacement in the future.
Even previously collapsed areas can often benefit from specialized grafting material, bolstering nearly any part of the jaw bone. It’s important to note: bone destroyed by gum disease often leaves significant defects around teeth. While some of these areas are grafting candidates, many of them experience irreversible bone loss and compromised support of the teeth. Controlling gum disease with your San Clemente Smiles team will serve your health much better than corrective surgical grafts.
Extractions
Despite your best efforts, teeth sometimes need to be removed to protect your health. When we’ve discussed all other possibilities and you’ve decided on extraction, we’ll take every step to help you. Your well-being always takes priority in any treatment decision. Some patients prefer sedation to help with oral surgery, and we can include medicated options into your plan. Regardless, we take every measure to make even minor surgical procedures as comfortable as possible.
Teeth present varied levels of removal difficulty, but the San Clemente Smiles team takes pride in helping every patient get numb with modern anesthetics to start every procedure. Once anesthesia settles in, careful steps are taken with instruments designed to elevate your tooth out of place. Specific instructions help you care for the area after your procedure, with prescriptions for any medications needed during the healing period.
While we consider the short-term management of your care, we should also discuss your long-term plans for replacing missing teeth. Leaving a space is always an option, but spaces in your smile can create appearance and functional challenges that are important to consider. Teeth slowly shift or migrate into open spaces, and minimizing the instability of an unbalanced bite can save a number of complications later in life.
Although our primary goal is to help your teeth stay healthy and functional, we can guide you through an extraction when needed. Fortunately, your mouth can be restored back to health after tooth removal. Since teeth help nourish our bodies and support our confidence, we will help you find a game plan that fits your short and long-term goals.
Other Services
Cleaning & Prevention
Cosmetic Dentistry
Oral Appliances
Orthodontics
Sedation
Tooth Replacement
Our Location
San Clemente, CA 92673
Office HOurs
8:30am - 5:00pm
