Wagner Oral Surgeon & Dental Implant Specialists

Recently, Dr. Wagner received the distinction of being rated on the web as the “Best Oral Surgeon in Wisconsin.” This is quite an achievement and it is humbling that the public views us that way. We do strive for excellence in all aspects of care and our experience is thorough across the spectrum of oral and maxillofacial surgery treatments. But we are not complacent and we continue to seek improvement through thoughtful care, technology, and education.

Innovative Oral Surgery Team in Wisconsin

 Our staff is truly the shining star and I feel they carry the bulk of the responsibility and credit for attention to detail and individual patient satisfaction. So this designation for our practice is a reflection of their continued commitment to providing the best care.

Thank you so much for your support and positive reviews of our practice. We will continue to work to both maintain the highest levels of care and caring, as well as seeking ways to improve. It is important to us and gratifying, that you recognize that what we do, we do from the heart.

You Deserve Help From an Experienced Oral Surgeon

You have choices when partnering with an oral surgeon. We are honored to have been recognized for providing state-of-the-art care for our Wisconsin neighbors. For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today! Our professional, experienced oral surgeon will take excellent care of you.

AAOMS (America Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons) recently published the proceedings form the third molar multidisciplinary conference in September of 2012. This was a compilation of research and articles on subject. There had previously been published a White Paper on removal of third molar teeth. These were published to address questions regarding the appropriateness of removal of third molar teeth and the findings firmly support the widely held opinion among oral surgeons that early removal of third molar teeth, where indicated, is the best care from a dental, medical, and financial aspect.

The Importance of Wisdom Tooth Removal

There are aggressive attempts by insurance companies, governmental agencies, and healthcare controllers to refute the preventative removal of third molar teeth. It has been shown that waiting and watching is not a healthy strategy and also not a cost effective strategy.

It should be noted that as a practicing Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon who has been caring for patients for over 25 years, I can certainly speak to the subject with some authority. A large part of my practice, as with any oral surgeon, involves caring for patients who have not practiced appropriate preventative care and the greatest, most debilitating, and most expensive of these relates to problems from third molars.

Preventative Dental Care

In America, as with many societies, the values of having disease free teeth for life has led to the development of dental care habits and a dental care industry, including care products, public policies such as fluoridation, and care professionals including oral and maxillofacial surgeons, dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants. Attitudes about the proper care and retention of teeth have led to a pronounced decrease in the amount of dental disease individual people experience. The prevalence of dental disease is affected by many factors. Even for individuals with little access to dental care, fluoridated water and regular use of floss, a toothbrush and dentifrice can result in a life with little or no dental disease.

Protect Your Health With Help From an Oral Surgeon

Make the choice to do what’s right for your health and the health of your family by committing to working with an skilled oral surgeon. Choose a Milwaukee oral surgeon with a reputation for excellent technique, gentle care, and a positive attitude. For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today! Our professional, experienced oral surgeon will take excellent care of you.

Benefits of Early Wisdom Teeth Removal

When we remove wisdom teeth at an earlier age, the sites typically heal in very nicely without periodontal defects. As we age, the risk of developing and retaining periodontal defects on the teeth next to the wisdom teeth increases. This is something that oral surgeons have always known from practice experience; however it is something that we are seeing supported with more and more scientific studies. There still seems to be debate in the dental community about this. I do not feel that there is any debate. It is best to evaluate and treat third molar teeth (wisdom teeth) at about age 15. We are able to make a good prediction at that time of the risks and possible concerns and make appropriate recommendations which could include maintaining these teeth.

Why Early Evaluation by an Oral Surgeon is Essential

The focus in a recent article was the periodontal health of the second molar as a result of the presence of the wisdom tooth. This study showed that if we treat the wisdom teeth earlier, we reduce the risk of having the site heal with a periodontal defect on the second molar tooth. We are able to assess this risk before treatment with a proper x-ray image (panoramic; or better, a cone beam scan).

The take-home message is that it is clearly best to have your wisdom teeth evaluated by an oral surgeon and, if needed, remove them at as early an age as is reasonable. An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is the best person to perform this evaluation as we have the greatest experience in dealing with these concerns.

Skilled Oral Surgeon in Milwaukee

If you’ve been putting off getting your wisdom teeth evaluated by an oral surgeon, take a stand for your oral health. For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today! Our professional, experienced oral surgeon will take excellent care of you.

(Ref. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 71:2020-2028, 2013)

The Importance of Removing Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Early removal of impacted wisdom teeth by an experienced oral surgeon results in an improved periodontal prognosis on the adjacent teeth. With years of experience in removing wisdom teeth on people of all ages, we have known for years that keeping the wisdom teeth often leads to periodontal problems on the adjacent teeth that in many cases are not reversible. Many people keep their impacted wisdom teeth because they “are not causing any problems.” As an oral surgeon, I have seen that the truth is that keeping the wisdom teeth results in an increase in periodontal problems because germs and debris will often start coming in around the adjacent teeth as the wisdom teeth are erupting. These areas are often difficult or impossible to keep clean with normal brushing and flossing. This is often a silent process and can lead to periodontal disease and even decay on the adjacent teeth.

The Risks of Waiting and Seeing

Third molars, or wisdom teeth, are the furthest back teeth in the mouth. They are often impacted. Even when they erupt, they present a cleansing challenge which may lead to gum disease or other infectious problems on the teeth. When impacted, this problem is often magnified. Removal of wisdom teeth by an oral surgeon is typically an easy procedure with few problems. It is best done at an earlier age. As an oral surgeon, I encourage patients to get them out in their  teens. As an adult, the difficulty with removal and risks typically increases. If you still have your wisdom teeth, have them evaluated by an oral surgeon. Do not fall into the trap of “waiting and seeing” if they are going to cause a problem. This approach shows a lack of wisdom.

Experienced Oral Surgeon in Milwaukee

Take charge of your oral health by trusting it to an oral surgeon who has years of experience combined with a passion for keeping on top of the latest breakthroughs in the medical field. For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today! Our professional, experienced oral surgeon will take excellent care of you.

J Oral Maxillofac Surg 71:1639-1646, 2013

Some people might beg to differ, but I am not a hoarder or a pack rat. In fact, I have spent quite a bit of time over the past few years trying to downsize and simplify my life (see the book: Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster).

Reusing Makes a Difference

We use a lot of sterile water in a surgical practice and the water comes in one liter bottles which are very sturdy, have a wide mouth, and seal well. We do not use the bottles in the surgical areas so, I have saved these bottles over time and used them for various needs such as storage of wet or dry products. They are roughly square and they stack well.

On our recent mission trip to the Amazon jungle in northern Brazil, I brought two dozen of these along initially using them as packing material. Aside from use for storage, they turned out to be ideal as canteens. Two of them fit perfectly into an insulated “lunch box” and we used them extensively. We left them all there and I am sure they will be used by the local tribal people for storage. I was glad I had saved them and glad we had brought them.

Socially Conscious Oral Care in Milwaukee

We take the lessons we’ve learned in Brazil and elsewhere and make sure that our patients benefit from them. When our patients come to us, we can promise them innovative care and a gentle experience. For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today! Our professional, experienced oral surgeon will take excellent care of you.

How Attitude Affects Oral Surgery

A recent article in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, (J Oral Maxillofac Surg 70:2256-2263, 2012), used biological markers to study the stress response and the effects of personality trait on pain response. Removal of wisdom teeth and other oral surgical procedures can cause discomfort. It is very interesting to me that I find that a positive mental attitude on the part of parents, friends, spouses, and especially the patient can have a profound effect on how a given patient handles the stress of surgery and recovery. This is especially true in children who have parents who are fearful or anxious about the procedure.

Make the Oral Surgery Experience as Positive as Possible

There is no question that positive reinforcement of positive outcomes results in a better overall experience. Stated clearly, if your family or friends are going through a surgical procedure and anesthesia, give them positive thoughts and images and they will have a better outcome. Keep a positive attitude for the sake of your loved one.

Gentle Oral Surgery Experts

For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today! Our professional, experienced oral surgeon will take excellent care of you.

(Ref. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 70:2732-2741, 2012)

How Blood Thinners Affect Oral Surgery

We are all living longer and in many cases living healthier lives into older age. Daily aspirin and the use of blood thinners have helped to improve and prolong life for many people. This seems to be especially true for patients who have undergone advanced surgical procedures, such as valve replacement and vessel repair which has become commonplace. As someone who is regularly performing surgical procedures on these patients, we find ourselves in a position where we have to work around these bleeding concerns and bleeding tendencies. The good news is that we have gotten good at it and with some relatively simple advanced techniques, we can perform many of our procedures even without taking the patients off of their anticoagulants.

Techniques for Minimizing Bleeding in Oral Surgery

On a very basic level, inflammation tissues tend to bleed more. Following this, just being more thorough in cleaning out infection and inflammation tissues at extraction or oral surgical sites helps to reduce the tendency of those tissues to bleed. Control of bleeding points requires proper surgical training and instrumentation. Other procedures that allow us to better suture a surgical site such as soft tissue management can make a big difference. There are also medications and materials that we can use at the surgical sites which promote clotting and the stability of clots to allow for proper healing. The ability to control anxiety during the procedures with proper anesthesia and medication helps to keep blood pressure down and in this way also minimizes bleeding. All of these measures, often used together, allow us to provide safe and effective care.

Skilled Oral Surgery Team in Milwaukee

For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today! Our professional, experienced oral surgeon will take excellent care of you.

(Ref. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 70:2732-2741, 2012)

The Medical Uses of Superglue

It has been known for years that superglue can be used to repair wounds and is tolerated well by the body. It has also been used effectively in this way for facial incisions. The benefit is time and accuracy. The problem that I see is that in many cases the tissues we are trying to suture are diseased or traumatized. This requires us to look for adjacent healthy tissues and extend sutures to these areas. The take-home message is, that “liquid bandage” and “superglue” although initially irritating, can be an effective way to hold a wound or surgical site closed.

Beware, if you ever use this at home, that it causes quite a bit of discomfort when applied.

Call Today to Consult with an Oral Surgeon

For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today! Our professional, experienced oral surgeon will take excellent care of you.

(Ref. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 71:2152.e1-2152.e8, 2013)

On our mission trip to Papua, New Guinea we were introduced to betel nut chewing in a big way. We flew into Port Morsby and from there drove cross country to the mission camp where we did our work. On the way, we would see friendly people along the road smiling, revealing blackened teeth and mouths filled with blood-red saliva. The people would often be spitting the red saliva onto the pavement, leaving an unsightly mess. These people were chewing betel nut and it is a common habit there.

From East Africa, Pakistan and India, and through Southeast Asia, to Papua, New Guinea, and Micronesia, betel nut users number hundred of millions – about 10 percent of the world’s population. Betel nut venders, sometimes with their children, set up their tables in public markets on the streets.

Worldwide, betel nut sales bring in billions of dollars. What, though, is betel nut? Why do so many people chew it? How does the habit affect their health?

WHAT IS BETEL NUT?

What is commonly called betel nut is actually the fleshy fruit of the areca palm (betel palm), which is a tropical plant found in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. It is a common ornamental in tropical regions here in the states. The name betel comes from the unrelated betel-pepper plant. Betel nut chewers wrap a piece of the areca fruit in a betel-pepper leaf, along with a little mineral lime. The lime promotes the release of alkaloid stimulants. Some chewers add spices, tobacco, or sweeteners to enhance the flavor and effect.

This preparation stimulates the production of saliva and colors it blood-red. Hence, chewers spit frequently, much like tobacco chewers.

CHEWING THEIR WAY TO MISERY!

The areca nut has been used for thousands of years and has assumed major social, cultural, and even religious roles. Users often consider it harmless and report a sense of well-being, euphoria, and a warm sensation of the body. It is, however, far from harmless and we were able to see many of the effects from this. Drug-prevention authorities believe that one of the alkaloids in betel nut can be habit forming. Indeed, some users chew it nearly continuously.

From a dental and general health standpoint, the chemicals cause an irritation on the skin lining of the mouth. They develop a characteristic staining, thickening, and wrinkling of the mucous membrane lining of the mouth. This may develop into a chronic, progressive, scarring of the oral tissues called submucous fibrosis.

Partner With a Well-Traveled Oral Surgeon

Whether you chew betel nut or not (and you shouldn’t!), our professional team is experienced in handling a variety of oral health issues. For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today! Our professional, experienced oral surgeon will take excellent care of you.

Have you gotten into an accident and been unlucky enough to have a misaligned jaw because of it? Were you born with an under bite?

Having an unbalanced jaw can be embarrassing and painful. Your mouth problems can be keeping you from enjoying food, sleep or other basic necessities.

It’s time to start enjoying life to its fullest and stop feeling grief. Wagner Oral Surgery offers corrective jaw surgery to correct any of your upper or lower jaw problems.

Some cases that require corrective jaw surgery are:

• You have a receding chin.
• You have suffered from a facial injury or have birth defects that have misaligned your jaw.
• You have an overextended jaw.
• You have unbalanced facial features.
• You have an open bite.
• You have excessive teeth.
• You suffer from chronic jaw or jaw joint pain and headache.
• You have difficulty swallowing, chewing or biting food.
• Your lips do not meet.
• You are a mouth breather and suffer from dry mouth.
• You suffer from sleep apnea.

Maybe you’re a mouth breather suffering from dry mouth, or you are having a hard time biting and chewing because your teeth don’t meet. What ever your case is, we have a solution for you.

Keep in mind; it is likely that you may need orthodontics treatment before and after your surgery. Jaw correction takes a significant amount of time, and we want to make sure we fix every problem. You and your loved ones need to know that this is not a short-term commitment; it is a long-term commitment.

Even if you are not sure, we are here to consult you on the methods of treatment. We will work with you through every step of the process to decide which treatment plan is right for you. There are many options fit your needs.

After your surgery, the results can be astonishing. You won’t even remember what your jaw looked like before and that is a great feeling. You won’t have to worry about having dry mouth problems or not being able to chew food properly.

Dr. Wagner is an expert in this area and he is one of only a few oral and maxillo-facial surgeons in Southeastern Wisconsin to use Lacta-Sorb, an absorbable fixation (no-metal), with his jaw surgeries. Call us at (262) 634-4646 to discuss your wide range of options to fit your needs.