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Extracting Teeth – Bad Teeth Out, Summer Smiles In

Thursday, 12 May 2022 20:46

The temperatures are finally staying warm here in Cleveland! At Ocoee Oral Surgery we want you looking and feeling your best when you’re out having fun in the sun. Sometimes getting a tooth pulled is the only option available to maintain the mouth’s overall health. If you are feeling any of the following pain points, let us help you get summer-ready with a tooth extraction.

Extracting Broken Teeth

When one of your teeth breaks, especially near the gum line, it may need to be extracted. A dental professional could cap the broken tooth with a crown if addressed quickly enough, but in many instances extraction is necessary. When a broken tooth needs to be pulled, Ocoee is here to help.

Extracting Teeth with Tooth Decay

One of the many purposes of those annual dental exams is to detect early signs of tooth decay. When bacteria enter the flesh of a tooth, that tooth sometimes must be removed to stop the spread. When this occurs, the tooth must be extracted to make sure that no other teeth are affected by the decay and that the gums and jaw do not become compromised.

Extracting Teeth Due to Gum Disease

Gum disease, if left untreated, can destroy ligaments, tissue, and bone that support your healthy teeth. When these structures weaken they loosen their hold on your teeth. That can lead to the extraction of one or multiple teeth before they eventually fall out on their own (a situation that you want to avoid if possible).

Extracting Impacted or Overcrowded Teeth

When the teeth are severely overcrowded, one or more may be removed to create more space and promote the proper alignment of the remaining teeth. Similarly, an impacted tooth that grows only partially beyond the gum line or is tilted at an abnormal angle may need to be pulled. Many people have their wisdom teeth removed for this very reason, to allow more room for the remainder of the patient’s teeth.

Trust Ocoee Oral with Your Tooth Removal

When teeth are extremely decayed, damaged from trauma, or causing secondary dental problems due to location – a tooth extraction may be the best choice. If you need an extraction, or you are worried that one of your teeth may be on the verge of extraction, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Please give us a call at 423.479.8544 or schedule an appointment via our contact page to get your smile summer-ready!

Love Your Teeth on Valentine’s Day

Tuesday, 08 February 2022 23:51
Two teeth with a heart between them.

Dental surgeons love candy, too! We wouldn’t be doing our due diligence though if we let you enjoy all that Valentine’s Day sugar without a warning. Don’t worry, we aren’t forbidding candy by any means. This post is about how to prevent dental damage while enjoying that Valentine’s Day candy!

What does candy do to teeth?

After eating candy, or any food, the sugar will sit on your teeth and gums. Saliva washes some away but has a hard time with sticky, chewy sugar. Sugar that stays behind on teeth or gums becomes food for bacteria in your mouth that can lead to dental trouble. So, how do you choose the best Valentine’s Day candy for your teeth?

Two teeth with a heart between them.

1) Chocolate is our friend!

Soft chocolates melt quickly and get washed off teeth easily. Hard and gummy candies that stick in your mouth, on the other hand, gives that bacteria we mentioned more time to feed and erode your enamel.

2) Limit eating the Valentine’s Day candy to after your meals.

Think of them as a dessert! Not only does this increase the chance you’ll drink water and wash away some of that sugar, but combining the candy with a meal keeps your teeth from being hit by straight sugar.

3) Hydrate!

When you drink tap water, the fluoride in the water fortifies your dental enamel. Water also helps to wash away the bacteria and sugars from your food, limiting the harmful effects of Valentine’s Day candy. Be sure to choose water over sugary drinks to wash down those sweets!

4) After eating brush and floss, but wait a few minutes to do it.

It’s always a great idea to brush your teeth after sweet treats. However, waiting a bit ensures you’re not scrubbing at teeth that are weakened by acid. Waiting half an hour to brush gives minerals a chance to redeposit on the enamel and the pH of your mouth to rebalance.

5) Consider non-candy treats for Valentine’s Day!

Other foods can be romantic, and there are all sorts of fruit arrangements or seafood dinners available to couples looking to show affection through food. While skipping candy entirely will always be the best option for your oral health, we know sweets bring joy to many.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to keep your teeth healthy after eating sugary Valentine’s Day candies. Remember though to show your teeth some love, too. Ocoee Oral Surgery wishes all our patients a Happy Valentine’s Day!

A New Year and a New You with Dental Implants

Wednesday, 22 December 2021 18:52

Here at Ocoee Oral Surgery we believe that dental implants can be life-changing for patients who suffer day-to-day difficulties with their dentures or bone loss. To start 2022 right, why not consider a permanent tooth replacement solution?

Here are some reasons why denture wearers should consider dental implants. 

Get Your Bite Back

You probably noticed a major change in your diet and eating habits after getting dentures. Dentures can make it challenging to chew food thoroughly, and some hard or chewy foods are completely off-limits.

However with dental implants your dentures are firmly held in place. This sturdiness helps expand your diet. Eat what you like without stopping to adjust your teeth!

Be More Confident

Have you ever felt your dentures slide or shift positions in your mouth while you were smiling, talking to someone, or eating with a friend? Tooth loss isn’t something to be embarrassed about, but it’s hard not to feel embarrassed when your teeth are visibly moving.

Again, the adherence provided by dental implants will save the day. Smile with confidence and talk without covering your mouth. Your dental implants will stay in place and free you from worrying about whether or not your teeth are moving.

Have a Permanent Solution

It’s easy to drop slippery dentures while cleaning them, and they can shatter in your sink or on your bathroom floor. Even if you manage to avoid this kind of damage, dentures wear with time and need to be relined or replaced.

Dental implants don’t need to be taken out to be cleaned, you clean them just as you would natural teeth. With good care, they should last the rest of your life!

Patients who have dentures may think that they aren’t candidates for dental implants, but dental implants are appropriate for many. To find out whether or not you’re a candidate for dental implants, read more about our dental implant procedures at Ocoee Oral Surgery here, and schedule a consultation or call us today at 423.479.8544!

7 Reasons You Should See a Chattanooga Oral Surgeon

Tuesday, 31 August 2021 17:53
7 Reasons You Should See a Chattanooga Oral Surgeon

7 Reasons You Should See a Chattanooga Oral Surgeon

You know to see your dentist twice a year for cleanings and exams, but it may not be as clear when you should seek the services of a Chattanooga oral surgeon. It is likely that at some point your life circumstances will warrant a trip to the oral surgery office. Here are seven scenarios in which you absolutely should seek out the specialty care of a Chattanooga oral surgeon.

1– Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Most of us have at least some wisdom teeth, if not all four, and ultimately any dental professional will tell you you should have them removed. If wisdom teeth align properly with surrounding teeth and the neighboring gum tissue is healthy, they do not have to be removed; however, that does not generally occur. If you haven’t undergone wisdom teeth removal surgery, you should probably see an oral surgeon.

2– Impacted Tooth

An impacted tooth is one that has not erupted within the mouth, and this is often the case with wisdom teeth. Impacted teeth can take on many positions in the bone, and they will attempt to find paths by which to erupt successfully. This can be problematic for a number of reasons as they may grow sideways, partially emerge from the gums, or even stay trapped beneath the gums and jaw bone. Impacted teeth can cause all sorts of problems like pain, swelling, stiffness, and even infection, so they also warrant a visit with an oral surgeon.

3– Dental Implants

Another reason to visit an oral surgeon is the need for dental implants. Dental implants offer a permanent solution for missing or damaged teeth. For most patients, dental implant placement involves two surgical procedures. First, dental implants are placed within your jawbone. For the first three to six months following surgery, the dental implants are beneath the surface of the gums, allowing them time to bond with the jawbone. Then your surgeon will uncover the dental implants, and attach small posts to them to act as anchors for the artificial teeth. The entire process usually takes six to eight months; however, most patients experience little disruption in their daily lives.

4– Corrective Oral Surgery

Facial trauma is another reason you may need to see a Chattanooga oral surgeon for treatment. Facial trauma can include facial and lip lacerations, knocked out teeth, fractured facial bones, fractured upper and lower jaw bones, and more. In the event that you suffer a facial injury due to a sports or motor vehicle accident, work-related injury, or some other circumstance, you may need to be treated by an oral surgeon.

7 Reasons You Should See a Chattanooga Oral Surgeon

5– Surgically-Assisted Tooth Eruption

Some teeth are just stubborn and will not come in all on their own. If this happens to you or your child, you can seek treatment from an oral surgeon to uncover or expose the tooth and coax it into its proper place, usually with the help of an orthodontist. Tooth exposure is a simple surgical procedure in which the gum is lifted to uncover the impacted tooth, assisting its eruption. If there is still a baby tooth present, it will be removed at the same time.

6– TMJ Treatment

TMJ (Temporomandibular joint) disorders are a family of problems related to the complex jaw joint. Unpleasant symptoms can occur when the joints of the jaw and the surrounding chewing muscles fail to work together as they should. Since some types of TMJ problems can lead to more serious conditions, early detection and treatment is important. An oral surgeon can suggest avenues of treatment for TMJ such as the introduction of a mouthguard to help protect your teeth from excessive grinding and clenching, orthodontic braces to fix a problematic bite, and injections of Botox into the jaw muscles to help manage pain and promote relaxation.

7– Oral Pathology

Another reason to see an oral surgeon is if you think you may be exhibiting symptoms of oral cancer. Things to look for include sores that bleed easily and fail to heal, chronic sore throat or hoarseness, trouble swallowing or chewing, reddish or whitish patches in the mouth, and a lump or thickening on the skin lining the mouth. Any alterations in the appearance of the inside of the mouth could be an indication of an issue. Through our oral pathology services, our oral surgeons at Ocoee can help detect and diagnose these problems in office.

If you find yourself in need of oral surgery care, contact our team at Ocoee Oral Surgery today. We are accepting new patients, and no referral is necessary. We’d love to take care of you.

20 Questions to Ask Your Chattanooga Oral Surgeon

Tuesday, 05 January 2021 19:01
Schedule a consultation with your Chattanooga oral surgeon

Schedule a consultation with your Chattanooga oral surgeon

If you find yourself needing an oral surgery or procedure performed by a Chattanooga oral surgeon, you’ll likely have a slew of questions floating around your mind…. some of which you may forget once you’re in front of the doctor. At Ocoee Oral Surgery, we seek to make the process a stress-free one for each patient, and one way we do that is providing information. The more you know and understand about your surgery, the less worry you’ll have to feel surrounding the unknowns.

Below are 20 questions to ask your Chattanooga oral surgeon, and we hope they serve as a jumping off point for you as you research and plan for your procedure.

  1. Do I need a referral from a dentist?
  2. Will I need x-rays before my oral surgery?
  3. Will I have a pre-surgery consultation?
  4. What are my options for anesthesia?
  5. What will I need to do to prepare for my oral surgery?
  6. How long will the surgery take?
  7. Will I be able to drive after my surgery?
  8. Are there any risks of complications?
  9. Is there any risk of infection? How can this be mitigated?
  10. What will the recovery process look like?
  11. What foods can I eat after my surgery?
  12. What foods should I avoid?
  13. What types of insurance does Ocoee Oral take?
  14. How long will I need to rest after the surgery?
  15. Should I take time off work/school?
  16. Can I listen to music on headphones during the procedure?
  17. How painful will the procedure and recovery be?
  18. What payment will be due at the time of surgery?
  19. Do you have payment plan options?
  20. How far in advance do I need to schedule my surgery?

If you’re ready to schedule your consultation or oral surgery, we hope you’ll contact our capable staff. We would love to help you navigate the process from scheduling to recovery.