Wagner Oral Surgeon & Dental Implant Specialists

Getting a tooth pulled or your wisdom taken out can be painful and downright embarrassing.

You might not want to see friends for days, so that they won’t make fun of you for your puffy cheeks. You can’t eat, drink and have to sit in bed all day with the inability to take care of yourself.

If it isn’t painful enough just getting a tooth pulled or wisdom teeth taken out, it is possible that you can experience dry sockets. 

You will know you have a dry socket if your pain doesn’t go away after a few days. Although only a small percentage of people experience dry sockets after tooth withdrawals, it can be very uncomfortable for those who do.

How do you avoid dry sockets?

•             Don’t drink water through a straw
•             Spit all excess saliva for the first days after surgery
•             Don’t rinse with mouthwash more than recommended
•             Be very gentle when swishing with mouthwash

You are more likely to get a dry socket if you:

•             Smoke
•             Have bad oral hygiene
•             Use birth control
•             Experience unusual trauma during the tooth withdrawal

What does a dry socket look like?

            It looks like it sounds: dry. Typically, after you get a tooth pulled, a dark blood clot will form. When you have a dry socket, instead of the dark blood clot, a whitish bone will form. The pain can start within 2 days of your withdrawal and might even spread to your ear. 

What to do to treat the dry socket?

            Aspirin and ibuprofen are anti-inflammatory drugs that you can take to combat the inflammation and relieve pain. If you don’t feel that these are adequate, your doctor can prescribe you a stronger prescription to relieve your symptoms.

            You need to visit the dentist to clean the dry socket. Your dentist will remove any excess junk from the location of your dry socket and fill it with medication to promote healing. You will potentially have to visit your dentist daily to get it filled with the healing paste. To keep your dry socket clean at home, swish with sea salt and warm water or mouthwash that your dentist recommends.

Our specialists are here to help. We are able to answer any questions about dry sockets, wisdom teeth and tooth extraction care. Call  Dr. Wagner and the Racine Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646!

 Oral surgery procedures like molar extraction and dental implants can sometimes be a difficult process, but new technology is making these processes better than ever. Having teeth removed and dental implants put in after a long period of time can cause several issues. The more you delay the installation of dental implants, the higher chances there are for creating a scar or the shifting of teeth. When it comes time for dental implants, these complications can result in some serious surgical problems. Huge improvements in the field of oral surgery, some of which help support tissue and bone regeneration, have helped greatly. For example, when it’s time to receive dental implants, the site where the tooth has been extracted becomes more stable through these medical advances.

ADM Helps with Dental Implants

The most common treatment used for regenerating the tooth extraction site is a mixture of acellular dermis matrix (ADM) and other grafting processes. ADM is a substance that helps regenerate bone. How does it work? It uses cadaveric tissue that has all the cellular components removed. Its collagen scaffold structure leads to in-growth fibroblast and endothelial cells.

Although this procedure was originally developed as a therapy for burn patients, reports show positive results when ADM was used as a bone regeneration membrane in socket preservation surgery. ADM can generate a thicker biotype that is necessary for dental implants. In comparison to other non-allograft resorbable barriers, ADM acts as a scaffold, allowing the growth of epithelial cells. After a timespan of ten weeks, the reparative turnover of dermis is finished with histologic examination, demonstrating no macrophage or inflammatory cells.

Materials that are used as barriers at extraction sites can be resorbable or non-resorbable . Resorbable materials used include: porcine collagen and bovine, pericardium, polylactide, and ADM. The use of non-resorbable barrier materials can lead to a high percentage of complications due to dehiscence and infection.

Technology Improves Dental Implants

There are even some reports showing results from the utilization of ADM for guided bone regeneration over tooth extraction sites grafted with mineralized cancellous allograft bone (MCAB). However, there is no solid proof that regeneration using ADM is working perfectly. A new ADM that does not have to be hydrated before use is now available. The objective of the case series is to retrieve data showing the clinical and histologic results of the replacement known as de-cellularized dermis matrix (DDM).

Mineralized cancellous bone allograft (MCAB) when combined with DDM helps in the reconstruction of bone, facilitating a stable position for dental implants. Tissue was examined using both 3D and microscopically imaging. Using DDM, valuable surgery time was saved. DDM can be also stored hydrated, is easy to handle, and can be easily adapted to the extraction-site fault.

A minimum of 12 weeks after the extraction, the study concluded that none of the extracted teeth areas had advanced infections. A bone damage volume was also blocked, allowing for even better stability and placement. These results prove that MCAB and DDM play a vital role in preparing tooth extraction sites that help with the placement of dental implants.

Get Dental Implants Today

Dental implants are an important oral surgery method, as they help replace missing or damaged teeth. With the development of these technologies, dental implants have seen even better success rates. If you are suffering from lost or damaged teeth, dental implants may be the perfect solution for you.

To learn how Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implants can help with your oral surgery needs, contact us at (262) 634-4646 today.

Dental implants are devices that are surgically installed in a patient’s mouth as a replacement for their natural, damaged teeth. These devices are thought by many to be innovative solutions to dental conditions. Although this is true, it is important to understand their early oral applications. Dental implants now play a crucial role in the oral surgery realm, but to understand their importance, we must first revisit their rich history.

History of Dental Implants

Dental Implants Early Existence

There is evidence that ancient civilizations used to replace missing teeth through the use of dental implants. Archeological findings have found evidence of tooth replacement in skulls dating as far back as 600 A.D. that belonged to the Mayans. These dental implants were made of stone carvings, seashell fragments, animal bone, and ivory. One of the most amazing facts about these ancient discoveries is the fact that some of the tooth replacements were found to have been fused with the jawbone, which was only thought to have been possible with the use of modern techniques used to install dental implants.

Apart from the Mayans, ancient Egyptian civilizations have been found to have used different materials to replace missing teeth. The materials used were dependent on an individual’s social rank in society. For example, the wealthy used various precious metals, while those who could not afford the precious metals settled for dental  implants made from seashells and bones. Ancient Roman civilization also used dental implants to replace lost teeth. Their material of choice was ivory. 

Dental Implants Evolution

Several centuries later, dental implants began to use the teeth of animals in place of various materials. Due to the high number of infections resulting from various materials used in the process, this method was not successful.

More recently, in the 1800s, various metals and their alloys were used for dental implants. These materials were placed in empty sockets created by missing teeth, but they, too, did not have much success.

The 1950’s are probably the most important decade in the history of modern dental implants, because this is when oral specialists discovered that living bone tissue could be effectively fused with titanium. At this point, scientists decided to use titanium as a bond between the human bone and dental implants, making for much better results.

Dental implants were, at these times, used on patients who were missing all their teeth or who could not use dentures due to lack of sufficient bone density to support their installation. This resulted in difficulties when chewing, biting, smiling, or talking. However, dental implants helped with these complications.

Modern-Day Dental Implants

These dental implants now work for most patients who have a single tooth missing or even all of their teeth gone. They are now effective in restoring the functions and looks of patients’ teeth. They have been found to stop jawbone atrophy, which results in adverse changes in a patient’s facial features. It gets better, though. Modern dental implants are now available in different shapes, sizes, and styles.

Dental implants are installed in a number of procedures that have resulted in high success rates. Because of this, many users consider them permanent solutions for their missing teeth. In addition, dental implants have increased confidence in their patients when they are speaking, smiling, chewing, and biting. Dental implants are easy to care for, which has made them an ideal alternative to dentures and other types of dental solutions.

Consider Dental Implants Today

Are you suffering from tooth loss or decay? If so, dental implants may be a great solution for your needs.

To learn how Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists can service you, contact us at (262) 634-4646 today.

As one of the leading causes of death, heart disease is a major cause for alarm. Researchers have found that stress, an unhealthy lifestyle and food are the main causes. However, a shocking discovery was that your dental care is directly related to your heart. People who suffer from gum or periodontal disease have a very high probability of getting a heart disease. Take a closer look at how dental care can affect your heart.

How Dental Care is Connected to Heart Disease

1. Bacteria – There are good and bad bacteria in the mouth and the bad ones are responsible for illnesses like chest pain and heart attacks.

2. Gum disease – Gum disease causes open wounds in the mouth that give way for the bad bacteria to enter the blood stream. These already harmful bacteria carry with them fat that can clog the blood stream, blocking blood supply to the brain which causes heart attack or stroke.

3. Inflammation – The harmful bacteria from gum disease enters the blood stream and causes the liver to secrete a lot of c-reactive proteins which cause inflammation. When the inflammation gets worse and clogs the arteries again blood can’t pass to the brain.

4. Tobacco – Cigarettes cause the oral immunity to decline and as a result many oral diseases occur such as gingivitis and cancer. If these oral problems are ignored they can eventually lead to a heart attack.

5. Diet – The loss of teeth forces a person to change their diet. Toothless people or those with dentures eat soft food meaning starch and fatty foods and eat less or no fiber. This unbalanced diet plays a big role in causing a heart disease.

Who are likely to get a Heart Disease from poor Dental Care?

1. Women – Women are more prone to get oral diseases than men because of their hormonal imbalances during the various stages of their lives like menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Women often suffer from mouth sores and swollen gums and if this occurs during pregnancy it can harm the baby.

2. Cigarette smokers – Tobacco can lead to oral problems and bad bacteria. Smokers suffer from bleeding gums and gingivitis.

The relationship between dental care and heart disease goes both ways. People being treated for heart problems have a higher risk of getting oral diseases because of the heart medication.

Ways to Avoid Dental Problems

Doctors recommend that everybody gets a regular dental check up at least twice a year because it’s now a matter of life and death. Other measures are;

• Keep a strict dental care routine. Brush twice a day and floss daily.
• Watch what you put into your mouth. Avoid sweets that cause tooth decay and eat a balanced diet with high fiber content and calcium.

For oral surgery-related information, contact Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today.

After dental implant surgery, it’s important that you continue to clean and maintain them. Dental implants are just like natural teeth in that they must be protected from the rigors of daily life. Plaque, bacteria, and other germs can still become caught within the space between your implant and the bone. Failure to practice proper oral hygiene can cause infection and potential implant failure.

Flossing is still necessary with your dental implants, as this removes the food deposits from places where a toothbrush is simply unable to reach. We also recommend that you use an antibacterial mouthwash to help kill any bacteria that remains in your mouth after brushing.

A common misconception is that dental implants require very little care since they are artificial and do not have nerves. This is not true and can lead to dental implant failure. When the implants fail, it can potentially require re-implantation.

Caring For Dental Implants

• You should care for your dental implants just as you would real teeth. Brush your implants at least twice a day, in both the morning and the evening. For better results, you should brush your dental implants after each meal.
• When brushing, apply a small amount of toothpaste and make sure to get all of the hard to reach areas around the entire dental implant. While you are brushing the base of the implant, ensure that the bristles are also hitting your gum area. You should continue brushing your implants for at least 2 to 3 minutes.
• After you are finished brushing, rinse your mouth with water, spit and then repeat this step a second time.
• Make sure that you floss all around your implant. Allow the floss to wrap around the side of your dental implant and bring it down to your gum line.
• Just like with normal teeth, you should maintain routine dental checkups.

Affordable Dental Implants

For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today — we’ll take excellent care of you.

If you are one of those people who have misaligned teeth and jaws that create an improper bite, you are very well someone who could benefit greatly from having corrective jaw surgery. The growth of the human jaw is a gradual process and it is common for both the upper and lower jaws to occasionally grow at different speeds. When this happens it can create many functional issues which include a difficulty in speaking, chewing foods, breathing, sleeping and your overall oral health condition. For those individuals who have developed a severe case of misalignment, the condition can even have an affect on the person’s physical appearance, producing emotional or psychological problems.

Aside from the rate of development, other factors such as birth defects and injuries to the jaw or head can also have a direct impact on your jaw alignment. While orthodontic braces will typically correct any bite problems which are caused by tooth misalignment, orthognathic surgery is required to correct a person’s jaw misalignment.

Conditions That May Indicate a Need for Corrective Jaw Surgery:

• Difficulty chewing or biting food
• Difficulty swallowing
• Excessive wear on the teeth
• Chronic headache or pain in the jaw or jaw joint
• Chronic mouth breathing and dry mouth
• An unbalanced appearance of the face from either the front or side
• Open bite – the space between the upper and lower teeth when your mouth is closed
• Facial injury and/or birth defects
• A protruding jaw or receding chin
• Inability to make your lips meet without straining
• Sleep apnea – breathing problems while sleeping, which includes snoring

Evaluating Your Need for Corrective Jaw Surgery

It is in your best interest to work closely with your dentist and orthodontist so that they can determine is corrective jaw surgery is recommended, and which procedure is deemed appropriate for you.

For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today — we’ll take excellent care of you.

Dental implants offer many benefits, including a great smile. Because this is a form of treatment that a person is not accustomed to having done on a regular basis, it can make the decision seem a bit more overwhelming. If you are struggling with the option of getting dental implants to correct any issues with your smile, take a look at some of the other benefits of dental implants.

What are the benefits of dental implants?

Improve Your Appearance

When a person loses teeth, continuous shrinkage of the jawbone take place. This can make your face appear to be older than your true age. This process can be slowed down or prevented with dental implants. You’ll also love the fact that dental implants look and feel like natural teeth, giving you an amazing smile.

Be Comfortable

Full or partial dentures sometimes come with a certain level of discomfort. As time goes by, shrinkage of the jawbone can cause the dentures to irritate the gums. One of the greatest benefits of dental implants is that you experience the comfort associated with natural and healthy teeth.

Improve Your Speech

With time dentures can begin to lose their original fit to your mouth due to shrinkage of the jaw bone. This can cause the dentures to move more freely inside the mouth, resulting in mumbling, slurred speech or clicking noises. Dental implants allow you to speak in a comfortable and natural tone.

Enjoy Eating Again

On average, even a person with a perfect fitting denture eats at only 15-20% efficiency compared to those with natural teeth. As the jawbone shrinks, this becomes even worse and you will find it extremely difficult to eat certain types of food. A benefit of dental implants is that they restore your chewing efficiency back to that of natural teeth.

Affordable Dental Implants

For a consultation, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 today — we’ll take excellent care of you.

When wisdom teeth are removed at a younger age, the development of permanent periodontal problems is reduced significantly. It is easy to assess the potential problems with wisdom teeth at an early age – I recommend about age 15. It is an easier procedure all the way around and waiting increases the risks of irreversible pathology and problems.

What is the Right Age for Wisdom Tooth Extraction?

The second molars come in at about age 12. The wisdom teeth often have an impacted position up against the back of the second molar tooth. In this position, they can silently cause pocketing and bone loss on the second molar. We can also find decay on the second molar from the position of that tooth. Once the wisdom tooth becomes symptomatic, it is often too late and we are stuck with the effect (periodontal problem or decay) on the second molar for life. 

Removal of wisdom teeth is a less complicated and less risky procedure on the younger patient. I recommend that patients come in for an evaluation as early as age 15. We can assess the risks and concerns and give appropriate recommendations for care. No matter your age – younger is better – come in and get them evaluated.

In our practice we can provide treatment easily and effectively under anesthesia, making it a painless procedure. We are careful and gentle as with all of our procedures. We take excellent care of you throughout your treatment.

Gentle Wisdom Tooth Extraction 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)

Should You Graft the Third Molar Socket at the Time of Extraction?

I have reported a number of times in the past how holding onto your third molar teeth leads to problems including periodontal disease on the adjacent teeth and can lead to bone loss on those teeth. In a recent article, the authors showed a procedure where they preemptively grafted the third molar sockets right at the time of extraction.

I feel this is a reasonable treatment and I might offer this treatment for select cases. The truth is that this procedure may not be necessary and would add expense to the procedure. The study showed that it did result in significant improvement in periodontal health on the adjacent second molar tooth. So if a patient wishes to afford this, it may help.

The last point is that periodontal conditions can be treated after the fact and there may be some argument that this may even be more effective. I have not yet seen a study on that specific idea; however periodontal surgery has had a very good success rate for many years. I will advise my patients of the options and proceed with appropriate care.

Talk to a Wisdom Teeth Removal Expert

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

Signs That You May Need Wisdom Tooth Extraction

As an oral surgeon, I know that many people some anxiety about the wisdom tooth extraction procedure. But the consequences of avoiding wisdom tooth extraction if you need it can be serious. Some of these consequences involve chronic pain and others can mean a dramatic reduction in your oral health.

• Infection

• Pain

• Crowding of the teeth

• Decay on the adjacent teeth

• Periodontal disease on the adjacent teeth

• Loss of otherwise normal teeth next to the site

• Nerve injury

• Periodontal concerns (poor tissue contours on the third molars)

• Injury to the sinus

• Sinus openings

• Fractured tooth roots

• Jaw fracture

• Complications of a more difficult surgical procedure

• Risk of infection spread to other parts of the body

• Fusion of the teeth in the bone (ankylosis)

• Diminished health of the patient with age (medical management concerns)

Don’t Wait to Act

The longer you wait to get your wisdom teeth removed, the greater the danger of running into these complications. 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.