Diagnostic

• Dental Examination
  With an oral examination and x-rays of the mouth, our doctors can evaluate the position of the wisdom teeth and predict if there are present or may be future problems. Studies have shown that early evaluation and treatment result in a superior outcome for the patient. Patients are generally first evaluated in the mid-teenage years by their dentist, orthodontist or by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
• X-rays

Preventive

• Teeth Cleaning

Restorative

• Fillings
• Crowns
  Food consumed on the day of surgery should be soft and cool; hot food and liquids may cause increased bleeding and swelling. After the first day, a gradual return to normal diet is acceptable; however, solid food should NOT be chewed directly over the top of the newly placed implant. Small movements of the implant from chewing may disrupt the healing process and cause the implant to fail. The typical implant requires 8-12 weeks of rest from chewing to completely integrate into the jaw bone and be ready for a crown.
• Bridges
  A single prosthesis (crown) is used to replace one missing tooth. Each prosthetic tooth attaches to its own implant. A partial prosthesis (fixed bridge) can replace two or more teeth and may require only two or three implants. A complete dental prosthesis (fixed bridge) replaces all the teeth in your upper or lower jaw. The number of implants varies depending upon which type of complete prosthesis (removable or fixed) is recommended. A removable prosthesis (over denture) attaches to a bar or ball in socket attachments, whereas a fixed prosthesis is permanent and removable only by the dentist.
• Dental Bonding

Endodontics

• Root Canal Treatment
  Isolated injuries to teeth are quite common and may require the expertise of various dental specialists. Oral surgeons usually are involved in treating fractures in the supporting bone or in replanting teeth that have been displaced or knocked out. These types of injuries are treated by one of a number of forms of splinting (stabilizing by wiring or bonding teeth together). If a tooth is knocked out, it should be placed in salt water or milk. The sooner the tooth is re-inserted into the dental socket, the better chance it will survive. Therefore, the patient should see a dentist or oral surgeon as soon as possible. Never attempt to wipe the tooth off, since remnants of the ligament that hold the tooth in the jaw are attached and are vital to the success of replanting the tooth. Other dental specialists may be called upon such as endodontists, who may be asked to perform root canal therapy, and/or restorative dentists who may need to repair or rebuild fractured teeth. In the event that injured teeth cannot be saved or repaired, dental implants are often now utilized as replacements for missing teeth.

Prosthodontics

• Dentures
  A small amount of bleeding is to be expected following the operation. If bleeding occurs, place a gauze pad directly over the bleeding socket and apply biting pressure for 45-60 minutes. If bleeding continues, a moist tea bag can be used for 45-60 minutes. If bleeding occurs, avoid hot liquids, exercise, and elevate the head. If bleeding persists, call our office immediately. Do not remove immediate denture unless the bleeding is severe. Expect some oozing around the side of the denture.

Implants

• Dental Implants
  At Oral Surgeons, P.C., we utilize the latest technology to provide our patients with the highest quality of care available in the country. Offered at all of our locations, we have a cone-beam CT scanner that is capable of providing 3-dimensional images of your jaws and teeth. The technology has many useful applications that range from evaluating cysts or tumors present in the jaws to assessing the available bone present prior to treatment planning dental implants.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• Oral Surgery
  Our online Oral Surgery Videos are presented in order to help you understand more about the oral surgery procedures we perform. Please click on the image to begin, and choose a specific video of interest.
• Jaw Surgery
  In more complex cases, the bones of the upper and lower jaw may be repositioned to increase the size of the airway (orthognathic surgery). This procedure is typically performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and is done in the hospital under general anesthesia. This surgery usually requires a one to two day overnight stay in the hospital.
• Pre-prosthetic Surgery
  The preparation of your mouth before the placement of a prosthesis is referred to as pre-prosthetic surgery. Some patients require minor oral surgical procedures before receiving a partial or complete denture, in order to ensure the maximum level of comfort. A denture sits on the bone ridge, so it is very important that the bone is the proper shape and size. If a tooth needs to be extracted, the underlying bone might be left sharp and uneven. Read More
• Maxillofacial Surgery
  Dr. Steve Ridenour joined the group in 2021 as a board certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. He returns to Iowa after practicing for 3 years in his hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Previously he completed his Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
• Tooth Extractions
  Answer: Believe it or not, some bleeding after tooth extractions is beneficial – good blood flow usually means good healing. The purpose of the gauze that you were given is to apply firm, consistent pressure to the extraction sites for 45-60 minutes at a time. If you have gauze in your mouth and you are not biting down firmly, the gauze is doing no good. Likewise, taking the gauze in and out every five minutes to look at it just tends to stir up more bleeding. Often, when patients are removing their gauze after surgery, they are surprised at how wet and red the gauze appears and this is often perceived as excessive bleeding. Most of the time, the gauze is saturated with saliva with a few drops of blood that give it the appearance of a lot of bleeding when it really isn’t. If you run out of gauze, most pharmacies sell it or you can bite on tea bags; the tannic acid in tea helps in clot formation. If your mouth is rapidly filling up with blood and the above measures are not helping to slow down the bleeding, call our office for assistance. Also, it is not unusual to notice small episodes of bleeding for several days after having teeth removed; simply bite on gauze again in the area of bleeding if you experience bleeding in the days after your surgery.
• Bone Grafting
  Bone grafting can repair implant sites with inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease or injuries. The bone is either obtained from a tissue bank or your own bone is taken from the jaw, hip or tibia (below the knee). Sinus bone grafts are also performed to replace bone in the posterior upper jaw. In addition, special membranes may be utilized that dissolve under the gum and protect the bone graft and encourage bone regeneration. This is called guided bone regeneration or guided tissue regeneration.

Orthodontics

• Orthodontics
  Orthognathic surgery is needed when jaws don’t meet correctly and/or teeth don’t seem to fit with jaws. Teeth are straightened with orthodontics and corrective jaw surgery repositions a misaligned jaw. This not only improves facial appearance, but also ensures that teeth meet correctly and function properly.
• Braces
  Unfortunately, our teeth don’t always erupt in the pattern that they are supposed to erupt. When our adult teeth remain impacted within the jaws, sometimes this can affect the stability and alignment of the rest of the teeth. One of the more commonly impacted adult teeth (excluding wisdom teeth) is the maxillary cuspid or canine. When your orthodontist places you or your child in braces to align the upper teeth, he or she creates space for the maxillary canine to erupt into it’s natural position in the dental arch. If this natural process does not occur, the orthodontist will refer the patient to see our surgeons for an evaluation. Many times, we can expose the impacted tooth and place an orthodontic bracket on the tooth, which allows the orthodontist to move the tooth into it’s natural position. This procedure is often called Exposure and Bracketing.