Oral Surgery Near You in Colorado

A bone graft is important to prevent the bone around and extraction site to atrophy preventing bone loss around adjacent teeth causing periodontal disease or preventing the extraction site to be ready for an implant. A bone graft typically costs between $350 and $500 per site. Some of this cost may be covered by your insurance reducing the cost. We always give you the cost of any procedure before beginning.

The most common oral surgery is tooth extraction, including the removal of impacted wisdom teeth. It's a routine procedure for various dental issues.

The level of pain experienced during oral surgery varies, but with modern anesthesia and sedation techniques, discomfort is typically minimal. Post-surgery, pain management is effectively handled with prescribed or over-the-counter medications.

Depending on the procedure and the patient's needs, various sedation options are available, including local anesthesia, conscious sedation, and in some cases, general anesthesia where the patient is fully asleep.

Our oral surgeons recommend resuming breastfeeding 24 - 48 hours post sedation. If waiting 48 hours feels too long, several studies support resuming after a minimum of 24 hours has passed.

While oral surgery can range from minor to complex, it's generally considered a safe and routine aspect of dental care. Serious complications are rare, especially under the care of experienced oral surgeons.

Your doctor will monitor you until you are awake. You may need extra oxygen if your blood oxygen level is lower than it should be. Ask your healthcare provider before you take off the mask or oxygen tubing. You may be able to go home when you are alert and can stand up. This may take 1 to 2 hours after you have received moderate sedation. You may feel tired, weak, or unsteady on your feet after you get sedation. You may also have trouble concentrating or short-term memory loss. These symptoms should go away in 24 hours or less.

Because our oral surgeons travel between offices, some conditions may prevent you from being sedated or are better seen at a dedicated oral surgery office to manage complications. Please talk with your oral surgeon if you have any of the following conditions: pacemaker, COPD, under 16 years old, excessive blood thinners, high BMI, or sleep apnea. Additionally, your oral surgeon may refer you to a dedicated oral surgery office if your surgery requires extensive follow up and/or grafting.

5% of patients who have their wisdom teeth removed have altered nerve sensation including numbness due to the nerve being irritated or hurt. Of this 5% of patients with altered nerve sensation, 98% will recover completely. Unfortunately nerves can heal very slowly, sometime requiring a few weeks to several months to completely heal. It is impossible to know which group you fall into until the nerve has healed. It is important to contact the office and provider where you had your wisdom teeth removed if you have numbness or altered nerve sensation . Your provider will want to talk to your personally about your case.

Trismus, commonly known as lockjaw, is a painful condition where the jaws, or temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) cannot fully open. It can lead to difficulties with eating, speaking, and oral hygiene due to limited mouth opening. Trismus occurs when a person cannot open their mouth more than 35 millimeters (mm). This is very common after extractions especially wisdom teeth as the tissues surrounding the jaw can be inflamed. Your muscles, tendons, and ligaments might be sore from stretching during the extraction. There might also be some infection around the extraction site that can exacerbate the issue. These symptoms will almost always alleviate as soon as the extraction site(s) heal. This can take up to two weeks. Start by sticking to a soft food diet and applying hot then cold compresses for 15 minutes on the TMJ (directly in front of the ear). You may also use Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs to alleviate the pain. You may also be prescribed an antibiotic if there is concern about infection. If you are experiencing persistent limited opening or severe pain after your extraction, call the office to obtain direction on how to alleviate your issue.

An oral mucous cyst, also called a mucocele, is a harmless swollen spot on you cheek or lip. They are soft, round, dome shaped, and are moveable and painless. Mucoceles occurs when you damage a salivary duct within your lip or cheek, usually from biting. A mucocele can be removed by an oral surgeon and is usually biopsied. We usually refer you to an oral surgeon with a dedicated office to ensure follow up is available if needed.

Part of your initial comprehensive and periodic exams include x-rays and inspection of the soft tissues in your mouth including your cheeks, lips, and around the tongue. Your provider will also inspect the lymph nodes under your jaw and your temporal mandibular joint (TMJ). If anything suspicious is found, your provider will discuss options including eliminating the possibility that the pathology is transient, meaning it resolves on its own. A two week follow up appointment may be scheduled to re-evaluate the suspected pathology. If the suspected pathology doesn't resolve within the two weeks or if the suspected pathology has been present for a while, you may be referred to see an oral surgeon or oral pathologist. The suspected pathology may be removed or biopsied. Since follow up is required, a specialist with a dedicated office is usually indicated. Many times oral pathology is benign, but we want to make sure any pathology is addressed in a timely manner. For this reason, we strongly suggest you see your dentist every 6 months. If pathology starts, we can catch it when it's small and more easily treated.

There can be various causes to altered taste in your mouth. Sometimes this may manifest as a metallic taste. Here are some suggestions for each cause.

1. Recent Surgery or Dental Work:

After surgery or dental procedures, residual infection or inflammation may affect taste buds. To manage this, maintain good oral hygiene by flossing, using mouthwash per post operative instructions, and brushing twice a day. Follow all post operative instructions. Saltwater rinses can soothe the mouth during healing. The taste usually resolves as soon as the surgical site heals, which may take a few days to a month depending on the surgery, your age, and health condition.

2. Gum Disease:

Gum disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) can impact taste perception. If you have actice infection around your gum, the bacteria can cause a bad taste in your mouth. Regularly brushing teeth and gums, using dental floss, and getting dental cleanings often are crucial. You may benefit from deep cleanings and may also be referred to a gum specialist (periodontist).

4. Cold and other Infections:

Colds, sinus infections, and upper respiratory infections can change the taste in your mouth. Nasal drainage, sore throat, and a cough can cause altered or metallic taste in your mouth.

5. Medications:

Certain medications for heart conditions, gout, and antidepressants alter taste. Prenatal vitamins, iron, or calcium supplements could also be the cause. Discuss with your primary care provider if any of these could be the cause.

6. Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy:

Cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiotherapy can affect taste buds.

7. Indigestion:

Acid reflux or indigestion may lead to altered taste. Address indigestion through dietary changes and antacids; taste should normalize afterward.

8. Pregnancy:

Hormonal changes during pregnancy can affect taste perception. Fortunately, taste changes are usually temporary and resolve on their own.

Discuss with your dentist if you have altered taste that does not resolve.

Tonsil stones, also known as tonsilloliths, are small, pebble-like lumps that form in the crevices of your tonsils. They're made up of hardened minerals (like calcium), food debris, and bacteria. The most common symptom is bad breath, but they can also cause a sore throat, cough, earache, difficulty swallowing, and a feeling of something stuck in your throat. They form when debris gets trapped in the tonsil crypts and calcifies. Factors like poor dental hygiene, chronic tonsillitis, and large tonsils can increase the risk. Many people can remove tonsil stones at home by gargling with warm salt water, using an oral irrigator, or gently nudging them with a cotton swab. In some cases, your dentist may use an instrument to push them out of the tonsil. Call your office, if you feel you have tonsil stones that need to be evaluated or removed.

Tori are benign bony growths found on the jaw or palate, affecting 20-30% of the population, often due to genetic predisposition or teeth grinding. While generally harmless, removal becomes necessary if the tori cause pain, trap food, or interfere with speech or the proper fitting of dentures. The procedure is a minor, outpatient surgery performed by an oral surgeon, typically under local anesthesia with optional sedation. The process involves making an incision in the gum, carefully removing the excess bone, and then suturing the site closed; the surgery usually takes between 30 to 60 minutes. Recovery lasts approximately 6 to 8 weeks, during which patients should expect mild swelling and bleeding managed by ice packs, pain medication, and a soft diet, while gently rinsing and avoiding strenuous activity for the first week. Risks like infection are rare. The estimated cost for removal is about $1,000 before any applicable dental insurance coverage is applied.