Minor Dental Surgery in Monroe Township

Extractions are not our first choice in treating dental problems, but they are sometimes necessary to help you avoid pain or systemic infections. In some cases, when a tooth is particularly troublesome, some patients opt for extraction—followed by tooth replacement—over heroic measures.

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Simple extractions are necessary if your tooth becomes damaged, infected, or severely decayed beyond the point where we can restore it. Simple extractions are for erupted teeth (above the gum line) that are not complex.

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Dr. Virdee will make sure you are numb first, and then she will gently loosen your tooth from your gums and lift it out. She will help you with post-operative instructions to ensure quick and thorough healing.

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Patients who have never had an extraction are often surprised—and relieved—when they see how simple the extraction process is in our dental office.

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Reasons for simple extractions include:

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• Decay, damage, trauma
• Preparing teeth before dentures
• Preparing teeth before orthodontics

Surgical extractions are necessary for wisdom teeth that need removal and for other conditions where your tooth has not yet erupted or has only partially erupted through your gums. While an incision is necessary for surgical extractions, it does not necessarily mean you will experience more pain. When cared for properly, your mouth heals very quickly.

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Dr. Virdee is skilled at surgical tooth extractions and will keep you comfortable throughout the procedure. She will always communicate with you so that you know what to expect. Follow-up appointments will help her monitor your recovery.

Extractions for troublesome wisdom teeth, before dentures, and before orthodontics are a good thing, but extractions due to decay and trauma can be avoided with excellent dental care, a great at-home brushing and flossing schedule, the proper mouthguard for sports, and the right mouthguard for bruxism.

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Your dentist in Monroe Township, NJ, along with the American Dental Association, recommends the following:

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• Brushing and flossing at least two times each day
• Twice-yearly dental exams
• Twice-yearly teeth cleanings

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If you have an oral health condition like periodontal disease, your dentist may recommend a more customized schedule.

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Playing sports means that you should wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth from trauma.

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It is also vital to wear a nightguard if you grind and clench your teeth. Grinding and clenching can lead to tooth wear, severe decay, breakage, and even the need for extraction.

A dental implant is a thin but sturdy post that your dentist in Monroe Township surgically implants in your jawbone. This post integrates with your jawbone and takes the place of your missing tooth root. After the bonding is complete—typically, after several months—we attach your replacement tooth.

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However, to place dental implants successfully, having enough bone is essential. Because we place dental implants directly into your jawbone so they can integrate and stabilize, we need to make sure you have a dense bone that is thick enough to provide a stable foundation for your dental implant.

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In some cases, patients do not have enough bone for dental implants. Thanks to grafting, we can build up your bone so you can have the implants you want.

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Bone grafting works by taking donor bone and placing it in the area where we need to reinforce it for your implant.

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Donor bone comes from organ donors, is laboratory-generated, or can come from bovine sources. We sterilize each type of bone for your safety. In most cases, though, we can use your bone from another area of your body.

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Once we place the donor bone, we allow time for it to heal and integrate with your existing bone before we place the implant.

After you have had time to heal, we can place your implant and restore the appearance and function of your smile.

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Most oral surgery procedures heal without incident. The mouth heals quite quickly, as long as you know what to do. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy faster healing and greater comfort after your oral surgery appointment in our Monroe Township dental office:

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Keep the Surgical Area Clean and Be Gentle!

You will want to make sure that your surgical site stays clean, but you have to be gentle, or you could cause damage. Gently rinse the area for a few days and avoid brushing or flossing directly at your surgical site until the tissue begins to heal and swelling decreases.

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Avoid Smoking

Not only does smoking create suction, which can dislodge the healing tissue within a surgical site, but studies have shown that smoking can slow integration between natural bone and dental implants, especially when placed in the upper jaw.

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Don’t Drink through a Straw

As with smoking, drinking through a straw creates suction and can lead to a painful post-extraction condition called dry socket. If you do want a milkshake or other beverage as you heal, drink it from the glass only.

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Anytime you have oral surgery in our Monroe Township dental office, we will go over detailed instructions and discuss what to expect following your procedure. We are here to answer any questions. If you require more specific guidelines, you can count on a member of our dental team to provide these instructions and go through them with you.