If you live in Murray, Utah, and are in need of an oral surgeon, contact the team at Utah Oral Surgery. Our oral surgeon, Dr. Bryan Christensen, helps patients get their healthy, happy smiles back. Whether you have missing teeth, a jaw disorder, facial injuries or abnormalities, or you need your wisdom teeth removed, the best place to get your dental work done is at Utah Oral Surgery.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
You may think of wisdom teeth removal as a rite of passage, and in a way, you would be correct. Most people today get their wisdom teeth removed in their late teens or early 20s. Why?
Most people do not have room in their mouths for the four extra teeth that grow in during the adolescent years. If allowed to emerge from the gumline, wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, will inevitably crowd the other teeth in your mouth, likely making them crooked. Especially if you have endured years of orthodontia, you want to avoid this scenario at all costs by having an oral surgeon in Murray remove your wisdom teeth.
Wisdom teeth can do more harm than just crowding, however. They can become impacted, causing pain and problems opening and closing the jaw. They can decay or form abscesses, or cause the same issues in your healthy teeth. Don’t take chances. Make an appointment for wisdom teeth removal in Murray as soon as your dentist recommends it.
Dental Implants in Murray
It doesn’t matter how old you are — we see patients of all ages suffering from tooth loss. Whether your tooth loss was due to an accident, advanced decay or another reason, it’s best not to wait too long before scheduling a consultation with an oral surgeon about dental implants.
Waiting to replace a missing tooth with dental implants can have negative effects on your remaining healthy teeth. Your teeth will shift over time into the empty space, leaving gaps between your natural teeth. This may necessitate a period of orthodontia before your oral surgeon can do your dental implant surgery.
Most of our patients in Murray with missing teeth also take a hit to their self-esteem. Having gaps in your smile can be embarrassing, and you may avoid laughing so people will not know you have missing teeth. Patients who have endured this type of situation over time often shed tears of joy when they look in the mirror after their final dental implant procedure visit. Our oral surgeon and our entire staff loves helping patients feel whole and happy again.
Corrective Jaw Surgery
Many people have a slight overbite or underbite that may be corrected by orthodontics. But those with a more severe overbite, underbite or crossbite will need to see an oral surgeon for corrective jaw surgery.
While braces work to shift teeth, there is no such device for adjusting your bone structure. A severe misaligned bite can cause problems biting, chewing, swallowing, speaking and even breathing. It can also cause pain and a greater predisposition toward developing TMJ (temporomandibular jaw disorder). For some patients, the misaligned bite is so great that it can affect appearance. Our oral surgeon can perform corrective jaw surgery to restore your jaw to its proper position.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a dangerous condition in which sufferers stop breathing many times per night while asleep, causing them to sleep poorly. Patients hoping to avoid oral surgery have used CPAP machines to keep their airways open throughout the night. These can be noisy and uncomfortable, and recently many of these machines were recalled for shedding bits of foam into breathing tubes, causing infection and other symptoms. For sleep apnea patients in Murray, oral surgery may be the best solution.
With sleep apnea surgery, your oral surgeon removes some of the soft tissue at the back of your throat that has been obstructing your airway. They may also remove your tonsils, if you still have them. This restores your free breathing, and you won’t have to worry about wearing a CPAP anymore.
Cleft Lip or Palate Correction
One in 1,600 babies born every year in the U.S. will have some degree of cleft lip or cleft palate. While many people think of this as a cosmetic issue, it is extremely difficult for babies with cleft lip or palate to nurse or drink from a bottle. The sooner you have the issue taken care of by an oral surgeon, the better.
The oral surgeon here at Utah Oral Surgery has repaired many cleft lip and cleft palate deformities over the years. Getting an experienced oral surgeon to perform this procedure is key, because results are directly related to the oral surgeon’s skills. While most oral surgeons can perform cleft lip or cleft palate surgery adequately, those with more experience can produce a better cosmetic result.
Top Oral Surgeons Serving Murray
Although we all do our best to keep our teeth and mouths healthy, certain events are out of our control. But you can relax, knowing that if you should ever have the need, you have access to one of the best oral surgeons in the Murray area — Dr. Bryan Christensen. Call our office today to set up a consultation for your wisdom teeth removal, dental implant procedure, corrective jaw surgery, or cleft lip or palate correction for your child.