Surgical Services

Dr. Tal Wilkins strives to provide outstanding dental care by offering a number of oral procedures to prepare patients for dental implant restoration surgery. At his office in Aiken, Dr. Wilkins performs tooth extractions, bone grafting, and sinus lift surgery. He also practices oral pathology to identify and treat various types of mouth disease. A proponent of periodontal health, Dr. Wilkins combines the precision of technology with the beauty of nature to achieve remarkable results.

    * Bone Grafting

    * Sinus Lift

    * Pre-prosthetic Surgery

    * Pathology

    * Wisdom Teeth Removal / Extractions

    * Platelet Rich Plasma

Bone Grafting

After losing teeth due to injury or disease, many people experience significant bone loss near the affected area. Because the body sometimes reabsorbs the section of jawbone that is not being used, patients may be left with inadequate bone support for dental implant restoration surgery. At his Aiken Office, Dr. Wilkins is able to rebuild the patient's jaw using human bone, creating a natural, secure foundation for each dental implant.

Bone grafting is necessary when dental implant restoration is performed as an extraction-to-implant procedure. For these treatments, placing a bone graft around the dental implant provides the structural support that allows the patient's jaw to heal properly. Major bone grafting surgeries can be performed to correct serious jaw problems, which may have resulted from traumatic injury, tumor removal, or birth defects. Dr. Wilkins will assess your individual surgical needs and create a custom treatment plan for your dental implant restoration. Contact The Center for Implant & Aesthetic Dentistry for your consultation.

Sinus Lift

A sinus lift is a procedure used to increase the amount of bone in the upper jaw before dental implant restoration surgery. Often, the roots of a person's teeth extend into the maxillary sinuses, which are located above the upper teeth. When a tooth is removed, sometimes only a thin base of bone remains between the sinus and the mouth. Since implants must be anchored firmly into the patient's jaw, a lack of sufficient bone structure can make dental implant surgery problematic.

During the sinus lift procedure, Dr. Wilkins enters the sinus and "lifts" the sinus membrane to create room for the implant to be positioned at the roof of the upper jaw (i.e., the base of the sinuses). Dr. Wilkins then uses a system of instruments and drills that, by increasing in diameter, are able to lift and expand the bone to make room for a small, specially designed dental implant.

Patients must wait several months for the dental implant to heal before the replacement tooth or teeth can be placed. Dr. Wilkins will work with you to determine the best method for dental implant restoration depending on your personal needs. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation.

Pre-prosthetic Surgery

The preparation of your mouth before the placement of a prosthesis (full denture or partial denture) is referred to as pre-prosthetic surgery.

Some patients require minor oral surgical procedures in order to properly fit a denture and ensure comfort. A denture sits on the alveolar ridge (bone ridge), so it is very important that the bone is the proper shape and size. When teeth are extracted, the underlying bone is often sharp and uneven.

In order to properly fit a denture, the bone may require smoothing and reshaping. Frequently, exostoses or tori (excess bone similar to bone spurs) need to be removed prior to denture insertion.

Extensive pre-prosthetic bone reduction is usually not required to prepare the ridge for implant surgery since dental implants require preservation of as much bone as possible for stabilization.

Only two dental implants are required to convert a loose lower denture into a secure over denture. This simple surgical procedure will significantly improve chewing efficiency, speech, esthetics, self image and self confidence. Implant dentistry is a simple way to significantly improve your quality of life

Pathology

Dr. Wilkins is concerned with his patients' overall health. Through oral pathology, he is able to assess a person's general as well as dental health by observing the tissues and membranes inside the mouth for indications of serious diseases. Discolored tissue (typically, red and white splotches), persistent sore throat, difficulty chewing and swallowing, and lumps inside the mouth are all warning signs that should be taken seriously. Dr. Wilkins can examine changes in the lips, gums, tongue, cheeks, and mouth to diagnose and treat oral diseases, including cancer. If you have noticed suspicious symptoms, contact Dr. Wilkins today to schedule an appointment.

Extractions

A tooth may need to be extracted - removed - for any one of a number of reasons:

Your tooth is decayed or has become infected.

A tooth is broken or fractured beyond repair.

You have severe gum disease, affecting the supporting bone structure and tissues.

Teeth may be growing in crooked because there is not enough space in your mouth. Tooth extraction allows room for the rest of the teeth to grow straight and proper.

You do not have enough space for your wisdom teeth at the back of your mouth.

Antibiotics may offer temporary relief from symptoms (like pain and swelling), but having teeth removed or surgically addressed often is the only solution for permanently relieving your symptoms.

The first thing one of our dentists will do is administer a safe, gentle anesthetic to make sure you are comfortable and pain-free during the procedure. During a simple extraction, instruments called elevators will loosen the tooth, after which it will be removed using forceps. You may feel some pressure but you should not feel any pain.

If your tooth is severely damaged, a surgical extraction may be required. Sometimes there is not enough tooth to grab with the forceps or it may crumble during the extraction. After the anesthetic is administered, several small incisions will be made in your gum, exposing the tooth's roots. Some surrounding bone can be removed with a drill, allowing the tooth to be removed. The incisions, depending on size, are closed with stitches which usually dissolve in about a week's time.

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Wisdom teeth (or third molars) usually make their first appearance between the ages of 15 to 25. Wisdom teeth are a valuable asset to the mouth when they are healthy and properly positioned. However, most mouths are too small for these four additional molars and problems develop that require their removal.

Why are wisdom teeth removed?

• Your jaw may not be large enough accommodate them. A wisdom tooth may become impacted or unable to break through the gums.
• Sometimes wisdom teeth break partially through your gums. A flap of gum tissue begins to grow over the tooth, and food and germs become trapped under the flap. This causes signs of infection - pain and red, swollen gums.
• Wisdom teeth may grow at an awkward angle.
• Impacted teeth may lead to more serious problems, such as infection, cysts or tumors, tooth decay, gum disease, and even jaw fractures occasionally.

Extraction of wisdom teeth is generally recommended when:

" Wisdom teeth only partially erupt. This leaves an opening for bacteria to enter around the tooth and cause an infection. This, in turn, can lead to pain, swelling, jaw stiffness, and general illness.

" Poorly aligned wisdom teeth can damage adjacent teeth.

" A cyst may form, destroying surrounding structures such as bone or tooth roots.

Wisdom teeth a removed in a similar fashion as previously described above.

Platelet Rich Plasma

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is exactly what its name suggests. The substance is a by-product of blood (plasma) that is rich in platelets. Until now, its use has been confined to the hospital setting. This was due mainly to the cost of separating the platelets from the blood (thousands) and the large amount of blood needed (one unit) to produce a suitable quantity of platelets. New technology permits Dr. Wilkins to harvest and produce a sufficient quantity of platelets from only 20-40 cc of blood drawn from patients in his office.

PRP permits the body to take advantage of the normal healing pathways at a greatly accelerated rate. During the healing process, the body rushes many cells and cell-types to the wound in order to initiate the healing process. One of those cell types is platelets. Platelets perform many functions, including formation of a blood clot and release of growth factors (GF) into the wound.

These GF (platelet derived growth factors PGDF, transforming growth factor beta TGF, and insulin-like growth factor ILGF) function to assist the body in repairing itself by stimulating stem cells to regenerate new tissue.

The more growth factors released and sequestered into the wound, the more stem cells stimulated to produce new host tissue. Thus, one can easily see that PRP permits the body to heal faster and more efficiently.

Contact Our Office to Learn More about Oral Surgery

The Center for Implant and Aesthetic Dentistry strives to provide complete care for all of our patients' oral surgery needs. From bone grafting to implant placement, we take pride in offering safe, effective surgery to prepare our patients for dental implant restoration. Serving patients in Aiken and beyond, we offer the most advanced treatments for functional dental implants that are inspired by nature. If you are considering dental implants to replace missing or severely damaged teeth, contact our office today to schedule a consultation.