The Right Anesthesia Makes Dental Implant Surgery a Breeze

When it comes to undergoing a surgical procedure, most people feel some level of fear and anxiety, and dental implant surgery is no different. As an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who has been practicing for many years, I have received extensive training to administer the proper type of anesthesia for each and every patient on which I perform dental implant surgery. From young children to older adults, every patient requires a method that is specific to their anxiety level, health and type of procedure. At Rohnert Park Oral Surgery, we offer a number of options to help patients relax and feel comfortable during surgery, including these four types of anesthesia: Local Anesthesia – this type of anesthesia is administered directly to the surgical site to numb the area. It is either administered on its own or in combination with nitrous oxide. This is one of the most commonly used options, as it helps patient to quickly and easily fall asleep. Nitrous Oxide – also known as…
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Why Oral Surgery Patients Are Missing Important Pre- and Post-Op Instructions

Think about the last time you had surgery and the way your doctor gave you important pre- or post-operative information. Was it delivered to you verbally? Were you handed a stack of reading materials? Or were you instructed to visit a web page? Depending on the way you received the information, you probably didn’t retain it as well as you would have if you were instructed to watch a video. In today’s fast-paced digital environment, video has improved the ease of delivering information. In fact, 100 million internet users watch an online video each day and videos are likely to increase an individual’s understanding of a service by up to 74 percent. This is why our staff at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of the Panhandle Region developed our user-friendly website featuring educational videos at www.panhandleoralsurgery.com. As a former faculty member in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Missouri Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, I underst…
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What You Need to Know Before and After Dental Implant Surgery

For those who have lost teeth from trauma or conditions such as gum disease or tooth decay, a dental implant is a reliable replacement solution. Dental implants are made from a strong metal material (typically titanium), and carefully implanted by an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon such as myself to restore teeth back to the function and appearance of natural teeth. A dental implant can be used to replace a single tooth, multiple teeth or a full mouth. Over the years, there have been extensive improvements in dental implant technologies, including three-dimensional imaging, advanced grafting and biologic growth factors. In certain cases, I perform the All-on-Four Procedure to minimize bone grafting and healing time. With this technique, patients can have the implants and fixed temporary teeth attached to them within the same day. Since the procedure often requires the use of intravenous (IV) anesthesia, certain pre-operative and post-operative instructions must…
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