Specialist: Oral Surgery

Wisdom teeth are the last molars to erupt into your mouth in your teenage years or beyond. When they full emerge into the mouth and you are able to keep them clean, there is no need to remove them. Similarly, if they remain under the gum tissue, they are likely causing no harm and may remain. Wisdom teeth are usually only removed if they are partially erupting but stuck, or are causing other problems. If you should need your wisdom teeth taken out, we are happy to offer a full range of sedation options so surgery is safe and comfortable. 

Implants are the best option for tooth replacement. When a tooth is lost due to injury or disease, a person can experience complications such as bone loss, altered speech, or changes to chewing efficiency that result in discomfort. Replacing a lost tooth with a dental implant prevents bone loss in your jaw. They are the best mimic for nature. Dental implants can significantly improve a person's health and quality of life.
 

Babies aren't the only people that can benefit from lip or tongue tie releases. In adults, they can be the root cause of sleep difficulties (snoring, apnea, poor sleep quality, brain fog), neck and shoulder tension, headaches or migraines, slow or messy eating, trouble swallowing pills, or speech difficulties (lazy pronunciation, slurring, mumbling). Part of Mint's comprehensive exam is evaluating your lip and tongue ties and reviewing options right for you. 

We have a duty to protect your health, and a biopsy helps us do this. When we see something in the mouth that seems odd, it is in your best interest that we investigate. Although most lesions are benign, a biopsy can rule out cancer in any situation where there is uncertainty. 

The sinuses may enlarge following the loss of the upper back teeth. This can preclude placement of dental implants in the upper back areas of the mouth since the sinus is an air-filled space and dental implants need to be surrounded by solid bone. A sinus lift is a surgical procedure that restores the sinus cavity to its original size and replaces the bone that has been lost as a result of the enlarged sinus. This new bone graft typically takes nine to 12 months to heal before the dental implants can be placed into the grafted bone.

Occasionally, the ideal areas for dental implants do not have sufficient bone quantity to support the implants. In these cases, it is often necessary to “borrow” bone from another area of your mouth or use sterile supplied bone and graft it into the deficient area. This allows you to place implants and regain healthy functioning.