Benefits of Surgically Assisted Orthodontics
- May save impacted teeth from extraction by exposing them and allowing the orthodontist to adjust their position
- May prevent impacted teeth from resorbing and damaging healthy permanent teeth
- Helps with situations in which the teeth have severe crowding
- Prepares children for later orthodontic work
- Corrects tongue tie and lip tie, helping young children feed and speak properly, and closes spaces between teeth
Procedures Offered
Impacted Tooth Exposure—An impacted tooth cannot normally emerge into the mouth due to its angle or position in the bone. These teeth pose a risk to their neighboring teeth, as they can resorb healthy tooth roots as they continue to move through the bone. Oral surgeons can surgically expose these teeth and attach a metal bracket for the orthodontist so that they can be pulled into their proper position with braces.
Impacted Teeth Extractions—If impacted teeth cannot be saved or if they are impacted wisdom teeth, sometimes they require extraction. If left untreated, impacted teeth can cause root resorption of adjacent teeth and/or develop cysts around their crowns. These teeth benefit from extraction to preserve overall oral health as well as the surrounding teeth.
Premolar Extractions- Together with your orthodontist, occasionally, the decision is made to extract premolars prior to starting braces. This decision is usually made due to severe crowding and usually includes the removal of two to four of your premolars.
Frenectomies- Frenula are small folds of tissue in the mouth. The most commonly treated oral frenula are the maxillary frenulum and the lingual frenulum. The lingual frenulum attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth. However, in some patients, the lingual frenulum is so tight that they have difficulty eating or speaking clearly. A tight maxillary frenulum can also be problematic if it interferes with the closure of spaces orthodontically. For these frenula, our team coordinates the timing of the frenectomy with your orthodontist to easily correct this problem.
Extraction of Baby Teeth for Guided Eruption- Sometimes, baby teeth interfere with the eruption of permanent teeth. Oral surgeons collaborate with orthodontists to decide which baby teeth need to come out to help the permanent teeth come in straight.
Why Choose Davis Oral Surgery and Implant Center?
We believe in treating every patient as a valued individual. We work with local orthodontists to create treatment plans and improve patients’ oral health. Working together, we can produce brilliant results.
Frequently Asked Questions About Surgically Assisted Orthodontics
Should a child have a baby tooth extracted if it is in the way of other teeth?
In most cases, the orthodontist will recommend an extraction if the tooth interferes with other teeth.
How long does it take to extract an impacted tooth?
The length of time it takes to remove the tooth depends on its condition. Depending on the circumstances, extraction may take as little as 20 minutes per impacted tooth.
How long does moving an exposed tooth to its final position take?
Moving the tooth to its permanent position may take up to a year because the orthodontist carefully controls the process.
Are premolars difficult to extract?
Premolars can be challenging because they often have crooked or hook-like roots. Our expert oral surgeons can remove them very comfortably.
Why is it important that children receive frenectomies?
Parents may feel inclined to leave a tight tongue tie or lip tie alone, but this problem can cause feeding, speech, and orthodontic problems later in life. It is best to have an evaluation when in doubt to see if the tongue tie or lip tie needs to be addressed.
Call Davis Oral Surgery & Implant Center
The orthodontist will inform parents whether their children need this type of surgery. Parents can trust our practice to work closely with orthodontists and produce the best possible results. Please call our Davis, CA, office at 530-297-7000 to schedule a consultation.
