Oral Surgery
Family Dentistry of Short Pump is Glen Allen’s established provider of dental surgery.
At Family Dentistry of Short Pump, our team of expert dentists has the experience and compassion to make dental surgery safe, comfortable, and pain-free for patients like you. We’ve helped people from all across the Glen Allen area get the relief they need, whether it’s wisdom tooth extraction, oral trauma, dental implants, or bone and tissue grafting.
Wisdom tooth removal
Wisdom teeth first appear for most people in their late teens and can lead to a variety of issues, including pain, infection, and swelling of the mouth. Removing them is a common surgical procedure that most people undergo to enjoy a lifetime of healthier teeth. Our dentists have the experience and care to ensure your wisdom tooth extraction – from diagnosis to healing – is as gentle and efficient as possible.
Oral trauma
From sports injuries to accidents at home or out in the world, traumatic dental events can happen at any time. Our oral surgeons can repair these injuries quickly so you can get back to life. Whether you’ve suffered a facial fracture or jaw damage, we’re here for you with the latest technology and unrivaled experience.
Bone grafting
A dental bone graft is a surgery performed to increase and strengthen the natural bone in your jaw so that dental implants may be placed. If you need dental implants but don't have enough healthy bone tissue for support, our surgeons can tell you if bone grafting might be a good option for you.
Soft tissue grafting
Soft tissue grafts are also known as gum grafts; they restore gum tissue around teeth or implants to protect them while providing an aesthetic improvement. If your gums have receded due to periodontal disease, aging, or oral trauma, our dentists will let you know if soft tissue grafting could help improve your smile. Consult with an oral surgery expert at Family Dentistry of Short Pump.
When it comes time for your consultation, we want you to feel confident that you're making decisions about your smile with experts. That's why we use state-of-the-art technology, like an iTero® Element scanner, to create digital models of your teeth and gums. No matter what procedure you need, we'll help you find the relief you want. Call today to schedule an appointment with one our skilled providers.
Alveolar Onlay Grafts
Alveolar Onlay grafts are often used to replace the area where teeth have been missing for a long time, usually after an infected tooth has destroyed all or part of a bone. The Alveolar Onlay graft is done to prepare for dental implants.
At Family Dentistry of Short Pump our safe procedure will use the bone from your chin or wisdom tooth areas and fit the graft to lie over the area of bone deficiency.
Bone Grafting
Damage to the jawbone can occur in areas where there are missing teeth. The jawbone can deteriorate and change the facial structure and make it unsuitable for a dental implant. Luckily, today’s technology can repair the inadequate bone in preparation for dental implants through bone grafting, restoring functionality and esthetic appearance.
General Anesthesia
While the use of a local anesthetic to prevent pain is sufficient for many dental patients, sedation or general anesthesia may be appropriate to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of dental procedures. Most commonly given by means of an injection or as an inhalant, general anesthesia describes a mixture of potent drugs that are used to induce a sleep-like state. Sedation and general anesthesia are safely and effectively used for thousands of dental procedures each year.
Jaw Bone Health, Loss and Deterioration
A strong and healthy jawbone is essential for activities such as talking and eating food. Additionally, a strong jawbone is necessary to keep all of your teeth in place. With preventative care, you can keep your jaw healthy and functioning properly well into your golden years.
Local Anesthesia
Depending on the dental procedure, your dentist may determine that you only need a relatively small area to be numbed during surgery so that your visit is comfortable and pain-free. There are two kinds of numbing injections
When performing oral procedures that require numbing, dentists employ two kinds of local anesthesia, block injections, which numbs an entire region of your mouth, such as one side of your lower jaw, and infiltration injections, which numb a smaller area.
Oral Pathology
Oral pathology is the specialty of dentistry and discipline of pathology that deals with the nature, identification and management of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions (the mouth and jaw areas). The practice of oral pathology includes research and diagnosis of diseases using clinical, radiographic, microscopic, biochemical or other examinations.
Orofacial Pain
Orofacial pain is caused by a number of clinical problems, including issues with the chewing muscles and joints. Orofacial pain can include migraines, headaches, muscle spasms, tooth pain and more. Your Family Dentistry of Short Pump dentist can use skills learned from the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP) to treat orofacial pain with several treatment options.
Ridge Expansion
A ridge expansion is a common dental procedure often performed following a tooth extraction to help recreate the natural contour of the gums and jaw that may have been lost due to bone loss. The ridge bone is a special type of bone surrounding and supporting your teeth. As soon as a tooth is removed, this bone begins to deteriorate and lose density due to breakdown from age or disease.
Socket Preservation
When a tooth is extracted, the procedure leaves behind a small hole where the tooth once was. This socket can be very sensitive at first, which is why your provider may recommend socket preservation to go along with your extraction.
A socket or alveolar ridge preservation procedure involves placing a bone graft into the socket, where the tooth once was. The goal of socket preservation is to improve the appearance of the remaining teeth and gums and to make the process of getting a dental implant at a later visit less complicated.
Soft Tissue Grafting
Soft tissue grafting is often necessary to combat gum recession. Periodontal disease, trauma, aging, over-brushing, and poor tooth positioning are the leading causes of gum recession, which can lead to tooth-root exposure in severe cases. Recent developments in dental technology have made soft tissue grafting more predictable and less intrusive.
Surgical Extractions
Sometimes trauma, gum disease, cracked or broken teeth, and tooth decay can be too significant, and despite our best efforts to save the tooth, extractions may be the best option. Here at Family Dentistry of Short Pump, we will make the process as comfortable and pain-free as possible.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Dentists recommend removing wisdom teeth before they become a more difficult and painful problem -- and to avoid a more complicated surgery. Whether your wisdom teeth have emerged or not, we offer a variety of sedation types to meet any need and ensure that your experience is comfortable and pain-free.
Other Things You Should Know
If you have suffered oral trauma in an accident, have one or more teeth that have been damaged due to decay or infection, or believe that there's an issue with your bone structure, contact Family Dentistry of Short Pump for a consultation.
We also offer dental implants for patients that are missing teeth and would like the look and function of their smile restored. Call Family Dentistry of Short Pump at 804-527-2982 to speak with a team member about the options available to you.