Oral Surgery at Village Dental Care
When is oral surgery necessary at Village Dental Care in Dallas, TX?
Many individuals associate dentistry mainly with fillings, crowns, and routine check-ups, but oral surgery includes a comprehensive range of essential procedures. At Village Dental Care, we understand that oral surgery can sometimes be a vital step toward maintaining your or your family’s oral health. Procedures such as wisdom teeth removal, which is common among teenagers and young adults, fall under this category. Oral surgery also encompasses any type of tooth extraction, including simple extractions, and more complex extractions that may require an oral surgeon's expertise.
In addition to tooth extractions, oral surgery includes procedures to address trauma, such as suturing lacerations of the lip, tongue, or cheek. Surgical interventions such as apicoectomies — designed to address issues at the root of a tooth — frenectomies for improving movement within the mouth, bone grafts for supporting future dental implants, and reconstructive surgeries for the jaw due to trauma, cancer, or cysts are also classified as oral surgery. Our experienced team, led by Dr. Michael Hardcastle, specializes in these intricate procedures, ensuring that each patient receives personalized care tailored to their unique needs. If you're searching for an oral surgeon near you, Village Dental Care is your trusted Dallas-based practice.
What to expect during oral surgery at Village Dental Care
The exact process for oral surgery can vary based on the specific nature of the procedure. However, we prioritize patient comfort and safety throughout the experience. Typically, the surgery begins with numbing the targeted area and managing dental anxiety, a common concern among many patients. Our practice often integrates sedation dentistry techniques, including the use of laughing gas to help you relax, or through sedative pills as needed. For more complex procedures, we may utilize IV sedation, allowing patients to feel more at ease during their oral surgery.
After addressing any anxiety and applying local anesthesia to ensure a pain-free experience, the surgical team will proceed based on the type of oral surgery you are undergoing. This may involve making precise incisions, performing bone grafts, or utilizing biological membranes for optimal healing. Throughout the procedure, your health and safety are our top priorities.
Once the surgery is completed, our dedicated staff will closely monitor your recovery before preparing you to return home. We provide clear instructions to ensure a smooth oral surgery recovery so that you can begin healing effectively, minimizing discomfort and encouraging a swift return to normal activities.
Preparing for your oral surgery at Village Dental Care
Preparation is an essential part of the oral surgery process. At Village Dental Care, we guide our patients through a thoughtful preparation method that optimizes recovery. Ideally, preparation starts the day before your scheduled surgery. Staying well-hydrated, ensuring you have a restful night’s sleep, and maintaining a nutritious diet are critical factors that can aid in a seamless recovery.
We encourage our patients to reach out with any questions or concerns pre-surgery so that we can address them in advance. At our Dallas dental office, patient education is pivotal, and we strive to empower you with the information you need to feel confident about the procedure.
Are wisdom teeth removal and dental implants part of our practice?
If you are concerned about wisdom teeth extraction, you’re in the right place. Dr. Hardcastle has extensive experience in performing wisdom teeth removals, ensuring minimal discomfort and a quick return to daily life. Proper removal of wisdom teeth is crucial to preventing overcrowding and future dental complications, and our team is ready to guide you through this common procedure.
Moreover, if you're considering dental implants as a restorative dentistry option, you'd be pleased to know that our practice emphasizes advanced techniques and comprehensive care. Dental implants are an excellent solution for missing tooth replacement, and here at Village Dental Care, we ensure that our patients fully understand the benefits and process of receiving dental implants.
Choosing Village Dental Care for your oral surgery needs
We recognize that selecting the right dental practice is of paramount importance, especially when it comes to oral surgery. At Village Dental Care, we pride ourselves on fostering a compassionate and welcoming environment that resonates with families in Dallas, TX. Our commitment to providing family dental care extends throughout our services — from preventative care to complex procedures like oral surgery.
Dr. Michael Hardcastle is dedicated not only to the artistry of dentistry but also to developing meaningful relationships with each patient. His educational background and military service in the US Navy have equipped him with unique skills that enhance patient care. Our team continually stays updated on the latest dental care technology and techniques, ensuring that every patient receives the highest quality of care, tailored to their needs.
If you’re searching for "oral surgery Dallas," look no further than Village Dental Care. We are here to provide the supportive, comprehensive, and advanced care that your family deserves. Book an appointment today, and let us help you achieve optimal oral health, ensuring the comfort of every family member along the way. Reach out and discover how our dedication to family dentistry makes us the right choice for your oral surgery needs.
How does oral health affect my heart?
There's a lot of studies out there now that confirm that the bacteria that only grow in your mouth get into your bloodstream. They're found many times in studies that show that the bacteria that can originate only in your mouth are found in your bloodstream and when circulating through your body, end up in your heart. If you have some type of defect in your heart, like an ineffective valve, a bad valve, then blood doesn't flush out fully so bacteria that build up in your mouth end up in your blood system and pool in those areas in your heart that are not pumping blood properly. That can lead to a heart valve infection or other problems. So it's really important to stay in regular visits with your dentist to make sure that your gums are healthy and those bacteria are controlled so they don't end up in places you don't want them in your body.
Will oral health impact diabetes management?
That's a really, really important topic because a lot of people these days struggle with that. But at the end of the day, people with diabetes struggle sometimes with healing. That can make them predisposed to having gum infection. That gum infection circulates through your body. The bacteria from that infection circulate through your body and can make it more of a struggle to maintain your overall health because of these uncontrolled bacteria. So yes, definitely stay in contact with your dentist. If you don't have a dentist, come and see me. I'd love to help you with that. And then we will help you find solutions that are right for you to control the bacteria that can make it difficult for you to manage the diabetes even more.
Why is dental care important during pregnancy?
Dental care is really important during pregnancy for a few reasons. The biggest reason is, as we all know, pregnant women have fluctuating hormone levels that relate to the pregnancy. Those hormone levels can lead to a process or a condition called pregnancy-associated gingivitis, which just means that the hormones have led to chronic inflammation in the mouth as long as the hormones are elevated due to the pregnancy. And even during nursing after pregnancy, those hormone levels will stay elevated, which makes you at higher risk for gingivitis. Gingivitis is swollen, infected, bleeding gums that can ultimately lead to bone loss and or cavities if left uncontrolled. So definitely make sure if you think you might be pregnant or if you know you're pregnant, stay in contact with the dentist. Sometimes seeing the dentist every three months instead of six months is really beneficial to ladies during their pregnancy and during the period that they're nursing.
Is there a link between oral health and cancer?
People who have and suffer from chronic inflammation have a lot of inflammatory cells circulating through their body, and people with chronic inflammation are more at risk for various types of cancer. There's a lot of studies that show that C-reactive protein, which is one of the markers that is measured in blood tests for inflammation in the bloodstream. Studies have shown that those inflammatory factors, the C-reactive protein, are at an elevated level if you have unhealthy gums. It could be gingivitis. It could be an active gum infection. We call periodontitis. If that's left unchecked, then your inflammation circulating through your body is also left unchecked, which leaves you at higher risk for cancer-related issues. So definitely see your dentist on a regular basis. Make sure your gums are staying healthy. If you don't have a dentist, if you'd like us to take a look, we'd love to see you. Just give us a call.
Can poor oral health affect the immune system?
This is one of those that I call which came first, the chicken or the egg. It could go both ways, right? Our human body immune system has a limited capacity. So we find that people who are maxed out on their capacity, they reach a limit that their immune system can't manage everything. So we'll see those people suffering with more allergies, more prone to colds or even flu. They stress out or have a nervous breakdown easier. We'll also see those individuals with chronically inflamed gums, right? It's one more thing. Sometimes by the time the dentist sees the patient, we're not sure which one came first. Was it the inflamed gums? And then that was part of the problem that led to the immune system not being able to manage everything. So then you started getting more sick. Or was the fact that your immune system already maxed out so that it didn't have the ability to help manage oral health? We know that it's all connected. It doesn't really matter which one comes first. We wanna take care of ourselves. We wanna eat healthy. We wanna have good home care. We wanna exercise. We wanna do all the things that are gonna make our immune system strong so it has the capacity to manage our overall health. We can't really separate one from the other. And if several systems start going out of whack because our immune system's maxed out, then there's not enough to work on the other side of maintaining health in other departments of your body, if you will. So stay in communication with your doctor or your dentist. If we find, in my office, our policy is that if we identify a gum infection and we treat the infection and we know and all the evidence supports the fact that the patient's doing their homework and doing the best they can and we're still not seeing improvement in their gum health, then I start getting concerned there might be a systemic problem. I refer you to the physician for physical blood work to make sure you don't have other problems going on that are taxing your immune system. So it takes a team approach to maintain our bodies and our health. Don't forget to see your dentist on a regular basis so we can be part of that and help you with that.