Oral Surgery and Tooth Extractions in Lilburn GA

Your Lilburn dentists, Drs. Gangwisch and Hulsey, have decades of experience doing oral surgery procedures including removing tens of thousands of teeth. Dr. Gangwisch teaches oral surgical procedures at the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University and has done volunteer oral surgery at the Ben Massell Dental Clinic in Midtown for over 30 years.

A goal of every dentist is to save teeth, however, there are times that the best thing for a tooth is to remove it. If there is not enough room for wisdom teeth – out they come. If the teeth are too crowded, then the orthodontist may recommend extracting some strategic teeth to make room. We can rebuild teeth that are broken down by decay or fracture from the “ground up” but if the damage slips too far below the gums or bone, then the best alternative may be extraction. Fractured teeth many times can be saved by placing a crown or cap over them, however, if the fracture goes too deep into the root, then the only solution is removal. Teeth that have had root canal treatment tend to be very brittle since there is no nerve inside to bathe the tooth with fluid. If these teeth are not restored with a crown, then there is a high likelihood that the tooth will split and need to be taken out. The most common reason for the need for tooth extraction is gum disease. Severe periodontitis (gum disease) attacks the bone which holds the teeth in and can affect many or all teeth in the mouth causing the teeth to loosen and thus will need to eventually be removed.

Tooth extractions are routine procedures for the Lilburn dentists at Killian Hill Dental Care. Profound local anesthesia is of primary importance so that our patients can have teeth removed as painlessly as possible. Once we are certain that the patient does not feel a thing, then we will loosen the tooth gently with various instruments. This is where experience comes into play. Inexperienced dentists may try to go too fast and end up snapping off roots or injuring the surrounding bone and soft tissue. Sometimes there will not be enough tooth left above the bone to grab on to, so a very thin layer of bone will need to be removed and an instrument placed between the bone and the root to gently loosen the root. This is a delicate procedure that is best performed by skilled and experienced clinicians. There are other times when the roots may have large hooks on the end of the roots. This would necessitate sectioning the tooth into its separate roots.

In most people, there is not enough room for wisdom teeth to erupt properly. More often than not, removing these teeth before they begin to cause problems is the best solution. If you are concerned about your wisdom teeth, then call today and make an appointment for a consultation. We have successfully removed thousands of wisdom teeth.

Removal of wisdom teeth may involve laying a gum flap to expose the underlying bone. Then, a small area of bone is removed to expose the wisdom tooth. Instead of removing a tremendous amount of bone in order to take the wisdom tooth out whole, the tooth is cut into small sections and removed through the small access hole in the jaw bone. This is all done with local anesthesia and the patient doesn’t feel a thing.

Upon removing a tooth, many times, an implant can be placed at the site of the missing tooth. This procedure may or may not require a bone graft. Our Lilburn dentists are very experienced in placing and restoring implants.

It’s not unusual for someone to end up with a toothache. We provide emergency dental relief of pain during normal office hours, so if you are experiencing pain, please do not hesitate to call our office as soon as possible. Our goal is to see you on the same day.

Still nervous thinking about having your tooth extracted. Then we can sedate you. Conscious sedation can help even the worst dental phobics get dental treatment done in an extremely relaxed state making the procedure as comfortable as possible. Conscious sedation can be done by inhaling nitrous oxide, orally with pills or through an IV. Dr. Richard Gangwisch is certified to by the state of Georgia to perform IV sedation and he’s been sedating patients for decades. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is great for relaxing a patient before the local anesthetic injection and during the procedure. No special precautions need to be observed beforehand and the patient can drive right after the appointment. Oral sedation is very easy to administer. One pill is taken the night before and another pill is taken an hour before. A patient on oral sedative is extremely relaxed and has little memory of the procedure. A driver to and from the office is required for oral and IV sedation.

If you are in need of a tooth extraction, implant, or other oral surgical procedure, don’t hesitate to 770-923-3966 to schedule an appointment with our extremely experienced and highly credentialed Lilburn dentists at Killian Hill Dental Care.