The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic treats diseases, injuries, tumors, and deformities of the face and jaws that may require surgery or tooth extraction. We provide consultative, diagnostic, and therapeutic services to patients with problems of the oral cavity, maxillofacial region, and head & neck to provide excellent patient care.

Conditions treated:

• Impacted teeth (especially wisdom teeth)

• Jaw misalignment (orthognathic surgery)

• Facial trauma (fractures of the jaw, cheek, or eye socket)

• Oral cancer and tumors

• Cysts of the jaws

• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders requiring surgery

• Sleep apnea (jaw advancement surgery)

• Cleft lip and palate repair

• Dental implant placement (complex cases with bone grafting)

Impacted wisdom teeth (deep dive):
In dental terminology, an “impacted” tooth refers to a tooth that has failed to fully emerge into its expected position. This failure can occur because:

1. Not enough room in the jaw to accommodate the tooth.

2. The tooth’s eruption path is obstructed by other teeth.

3. The angulation of the tooth is improper (horizontal, tilted, or inverted).

Types of impaction:

• Mesial: Angled forward toward the front of the mouth (most common, 60–70%).

• Distal: Angled backward.

• Vertical: Upright but stuck below the gum.

• Horizontal: Completely sideways (most difficult to remove).

Why remove impacted wisdom teeth?

• Risk of infection (pericoronitis)

• Damage to adjacent molars (root resorption or decay)

• Cyst formation (dentigerous cyst, can destroy bone)

• Crowding of front teeth (controversial but possible)

• Difficulty with oral hygiene

Statistics:

• Approximately 85% of people will have at least one impacted wisdom tooth requiring evaluation (International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery).

• About 10 million wisdom teeth are extracted annually in the U.S. alone.

• The ideal age for removal is 16–25 years (lower risk of complications).

Surgical procedure (typical extraction):

1. Local anesthesia with or without sedation.

2. Incision in the gum to expose the tooth.

3. Bone removal if needed.

4. Sectioning the tooth into smaller pieces (if impacted).

5. Extraction and cleaning of the socket.

6. Stitches (often dissolvable).

Recovery:

• Swelling peaks at 24–48 hours.

• Pain controlled with NSAIDs or prescribed medication.

• Dry socket occurs in 2–5% of cases (smokers have 3–4x higher risk).

• Full bone healing takes 4–6 weeks.

References:

• Dodson, T.B. “The management of impacted wisdom teeth.” J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2014.

• AAOMS. “Parameters of Care for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.” 2020.

• Bouloux, G.F., et al. “Complications of third molar surgery.” Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin N Am, 2015.