Dental Blog

No one likes losing a tooth, and dentists do everything possible to avoid an extraction. But if a tooth is damaged beyond repair, removing it is the only solution to stop pain and prevent complications.

Pathology deals with the causes and effects of disease, and it plays a critical role in diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. Oral pathology refers to the dental specialty of diagnosing and treating diseases in and around the mouth.

The history of anesthesia dates back nearly 180 years. Anesthetics have come a long way since then and are an important tool to keep patients comfortable during dental procedures and oral surgery.

Jaw surgery at Des Moines Oral Surgeons PC corrects a bad bite by repositioning jaw bones and teeth. This can enhance facial appearance as well. Also known as orthognathic surgery or surgical orthodontics, corrective jaw surgery becomes necessary when jaw problems can’t be treated by orthodontics (teeth straightening) alone.

Healthy wisdom teeth can be left in place if they’ve fully emerged through the gum line in their correct position and you can clean them properly. But this is often not the case. Because of lack of room, wisdom teeth frequently remain embedded within the gum, only partially emerge, or grow in at a skewed angle and crowd other teeth.

A popular alternative to traditional dentures and bridges, dental implants provide a permanent foundation for artificial teeth that look, feel and work like real teeth. Implants protect jawbone, which preserves facial structure and appearance, and they allow you to smile with confidence and enjoy your favorite foods.

Wisdom teeth are a relic from a bygone age that lurk in the recesses of our mouth and often wreak oral health havoc. We call them wisdom teeth because they appear in the late teens or early 20s, when we’re supposed to start gaining wisdom as we mature into adulthood.

Some facial injuries are minor and require little if any medical intervention. Others, however, can pose a serious health risk as well as significantly damage appearance. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the dental specialists who treat facial trauma.

Braces are often sufficient to straighten misaligned teeth. Sometimes, though, a surgical procedure is needed as well. Surgical orthodontics helps to resolve issues with biting, chewing and speaking by repositioning jawbone structure.

Sleep apnea is a common medical condition associated with a range of serious health complications. It’s one of the most prevalent sleep disorders worldwide, and about 30 million people in the U.S. suffer from sleep apnea, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).