dregolum, Author at Maryland's Best Wisdom Teeth Extraction & Dental Implant Specialist and Oral Surgeon in Bowie, Maryland, MD Near Upper Marlboro, MD - Bowie Oral Surgery Serving Greenbelt, Silver Spring, Glendale, New Carrollton, Takoma, Annapolis, Crofton, Waldorf, Mitchellville, Glenarden, Largo, Odenton, Prince Georges County , Anne Arundel county, Washington DC and surrounding areas.

How do Dental Implants Work? What are dental implants? These are just a few of the common questions we get as Oral Surgeons.

Simply put, a dental implant is a titanium screw thats surgically implanted into the jaw bone where teeth are missing. The dental implant acts as the root or anchor of a tooth, a crown or tooth is later attached to the implant either by cementation or by screwing it in, this now becomes a new tooth that functions and looks much like a natural tooth.

There are various factors in dental implant placement that will make the surgery a success. There has to be adequate bone, no active infection, no immune suppressed conditions (or controlled) and no parafunctional habits such as bruxing or grinding of teeth.

If you have specific questions that you would like to discuss. Call us today, we would be happy to schedule an appointment for you. You can also read more about Dental implants HERE!

We get many questions from our readers regarding pain and what to expect after wisdom teeth surgery. Good news is you’ve come to the right place as Oral Surgeons we perform hundreds of wisdom teeth extraction per year. We see many of our patients for follow up and we have had the chance to ask each and every one about their experience, good or bad.

The good news is most patients have a relatively good recovery. The bad news is pain is a subjective thing. Some patients report having no pain whatsoever while others complain of extreme pain.

We usually will prescribe an anti-inflammatory as well as opioids as needed to help manage post surgical pain and swelling.

Most pain and swelling should resolve within 5 – 7 days providing there is no other post-surgical complication. So long as you take your prescribed medications you should feel minimal discomfort.

Another method to help minimize pain is to place ice packs on the face, the coolness helps to soothe the pain along with slow the release of inflammatory mediators hence minimizing inflammation/swelling.

Hope this helps answer the question regarding post wisdom teeth surgery pain and recovery. Not exactly black and white but this is the general experience for most patients.

Immediate implant placement followed by temporary provisionalization can lead to great tissue contour which enhances the esthetics at the time of final restoration. At Bowie Oral Surgery we aim for excellent results every time. We achieve this by scheduling procedures in the required allotted time which allows us to focus on each surgery without distractions. We also believe in minimally invasive techniques which we utilize for each and every surgery, allowing for faster recovery and decreased pain/swelling. Try us out and experience the difference.

Dental abscesses can be very painful and costly to treat if allowed to sit long enough. They can progress from a simple tooth infection to other areas which can be life threatening at times.

A tooth with a dental abscess either needs a root canal or it needs to be removed to prevent further infection spread and pain!

Oral surgeons are highly equipped to drain infections that may have spread to more life threatening locations such as the airway.

Next time you have a tooth ache or a bump on the gum see your dentist or oral surgeon right away!

Happy President’s Day! We hope you are enjoying a quiet peaceful day. A fitting topic today is dental emergencies. A dental emergency can be as simple as your crown falling off your tooth and as severe as a tooth or associated bone breaking from trauma such as a fall, car accident etc.

Emergencies can happen at any time especially on a holiday like today. As Oral Surgeons we are trained to manage the most complex of dental emergencies from a simple cracked tooth to avulsion or loss of teeth to even bony fractures.

At Bowie Oral Surgery, we aim to be available for residents of Maryland and surrounding areas in the event of emergencies.

We are open M-F 8am – 4pm and open on Saturdays once a month from 8am – 1pm. You can usually call and most times to be seen the same day.

Here are a few quick tips in the event of some common dental emergencies.

Tooth avulsion (tooth loss as a result of trauma). Keep the tooth in milk or saliva, to keep it moist until you can be seen by an Oral Surgeon, but avoid use of water. The tooth can usually be re-implanted successfully within 3o mins – 1 hr of avulsion. The longer the tooth is out of the mouth the less chance of survival after re-implantation.
Cracked or loose tooth – If your tooth is cracked badly enough to cause bleeding or displacement from the socket, you will likely have pain. Take some advil and rinse with salt water to disinfect the area until you can get the the Oral Surgeon. We can reposition teeth and stabilize them to allow healing. Keep in mind, loose teeth may sometimes need to have root canal therapy in future to increase chance of survival and retention.

We hope these tips were helpful to you.

Enjoy the rest of your day off. If a dental emergency arises, please feel free to reach out to us.

Rotten teeth

So your dentist said you need to see an oral surgeon? Or are you just wondering what’s the difference between an oral surgeon and what your general dentist does?

The truth is some general dentists do oral surgery and some prefer to send you to a specialist, particularly when the procedure is more complicated. Oral surgeons train for an additional 4 to 6 years after dental school. The training is very rigorous and extensive and covers all surgical procedures of the teeth, jaws and surrounding structures. This makes oral surgeons the most skilled specialist for teeth extractions or other surgical procedures of the jaws, particularly complex ones.

Broken tooth on an X-ray

So the next time you have a toothache, need a tooth extracted / pulled or your dentist recommends that you see a specialist, know that you’re in great hands with the Oral Surgeon!