Steve Bureau, DDS

They are a great, permanent alternative to replace a missing tooth, and they are not nearly as invasive as you may think. The chances of failure are small. Some factors that could cause an implant to fail include infection, poor oral hygiene, excessive occlusion load, and general health status.

Implants are a great option because they help you return to normal function with eating, speaking, and aesthetics. Not to mention we have come a long way from the days of the ancient Mayans when seashells were reshaped, contoured, and used as implants/tooth replacements. Nowadays, small titanium tooth form posts are used and put in your jawbone. After-which a crown can then be placed and anchored on it to achieve the natural tooth look and feel.

Implants can sometimes be placed immediately after a tooth extraction or in an already existing space. The surgical placement of an implant can often be done in-office, with one procedure. Although sometimes it does take two. Implant placement can be done, under local anesthesia, deep sedation or general anesthesia, depending on your needs.

After the implant placement, It can take up to 6 months for your bone and the implant to integrate. After-which, you can have a crown placed on top by your dentist. The healing/integration process allows the implant to bond properly into your bone. During this time, you may have a denture temporarily so that you aren’t living everyday life with an open space in your mouth.

Dr. Bureau will do one final check once you are fully healed, to make sure you are ready for a crown placement from your dentist. Your smile and function will then be fully restored, and the implant process is complete!

You may know you need oral surgery or have heard the term before, but what on earth does that mean?

Oral surgery is also known as Oral & Maxillofacial surgery. It is a branch of dentistry that covers the diagnosis and treatment of orofacial defects, diseases, or injuries. This means that to become an oral surgeon, you have to become a dentist first, then do even more schooling to specialize and obtain the title of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon. Oral surgeons can provide patients with unique expertise in facial reconstruction, dental implants, tooth removal, and bone grafts, among others.

The reasons why people require oral surgery can range from tooth extractions, facial trauma, cyst or tumour removal to correcting birth-defects such as unequal jaw growth or a cleft palate. Surgery time can be as quick as 10 to 20 minutes or can take a few hours, depending on what is needed. For your typical wisdom tooth extraction, you can expect to be in the office for 2 to 3 hours. These include the time for check-in, a consult if needed that day, surgery time, and recovery (if the surgery was under General Anesthesia).

Proper preparation for oral surgery appointments is very important. When you have your consultation with Dr. Bureau and his team, you will be given preoperative instructions to follow depending on the type of anesthesia you will require. This may include having no alcohol or smoking for 24 hours prior, no eating or drinking (not even water) after midnight the night before the surgery if general anesthetic or IV sedation is required and may include a premed antibiotic. Once your procedure is complete, our lovely nurses will go over post-operative care instructions. Always remember that when having general anesthetic or IV sedation, you are considered legally impaired for 24 hours after surgery. You will need a ride to and from our office, as well as care at home afterwards.

In the following days and weeks, it is important to keep the surgical area clean and free from any debris. This is important to minimize your risk of infection. We always call to check on you the next business day after your procedure just to follow up and make sure there are no concerns. We want to make sure that you are healing as quickly and seamlessly as possible. While you will be provided with an aftercare booklet and our website also has more information, we encourage you to call with any questions that you may have. We are more than happy to address your individual needs as we know that each and every case is different.

We are always happy to answer any additional questions and we encourage you to contact our office during business hours at (403) 286-2551.

References:
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5116.pdf
https://www.mclainsurgicalarts.com/preparing-for-oral-surgery
https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-prepare-for-oral-surgery-1059320
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/prepare-oral-surgery
https://www.academia.edu/37335792/Oral_Surgery_pdf
https://www.caoms.com/procedures

One of the most common things that patients are referred to us for is wisdom teeth extractions.

Having your wisdom teeth taken out can seem scary for some but we are here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be! With Dr. Steve Bureau, you can rest assured that you are in fantastic and very capable hands.

While wisdom teeth used to be useful, they now serve no purpose in our mouths. In fact, they are more harmful than good! They are so far back in our mouths that we couldn’t use them to chew food even if they have erupted. It also makes cleaning them a challenge because they are hard to reach –this can lead to decay, cavities, and abscess. Furthermore, wisdom teeth don’t properly fit in our mouths so they can cause crowding and problems for neighboring teeth, especially if they are growing in at an abnormal angle.

Most people choose to have their wisdom teeth taken out with sedation or general anesthetic so that they don’t have to experience the extraction process. Unlike a regular tooth extraction, wisdom teeth are often below your gumline so they are more invasive to take out. Choosing to have sedation or general anesthetic over a local anesthetic makes the procedure a total breeze. Most patients are in and out of the office within 2-3 hours – that includes check-in time, a brief wait while we get your room setup, surgery, recovery, and reviewing post-operative care instructions before sending you on your way!

Having removed thousands of wisdom teeth from patient’s mouths, Dr. Bureau is an expert on how to make the process as seamless and painless as possible. Our team understands the anxiety that can come along with putting your health care needs in our hands and as a result, we are sensitive to all situations and any specific needs that you may have.

We are always happy to answer any additional questions and we encourage you to contact our office during business hours at (403) 286-2551.