At Willamette Valley Periodontics, our expertise encompasses a selection of oral surgery procedures designed to address complex dental issues, restore oral health, and prepare your smile for successfully receiving long-term restorations like dental implants. If you're visiting our McMinnville periodontal office for oral surgery, you can be assured that your comfort and safety are our highest priorities. We perform each surgical procedure with gentle, precise care, utilizing advanced technologies and offering sedation dentistry options to ensure a positive, comfortable experience that's tailored to you.
Our top surgical procedures at Willamette Valley Periodontics in McMinnville include:
Bone Grafting
When bone loss occurs due to tooth loss, gum disease, or trauma, there might not be enough healthy bone to support the placement of dental implants or maintain facial structure. Bone grafting procedures involve adding bone material (typically from your own body or a donor) to augment the jawbone, creating a stable foundation for future implants and restoring lost volume to the face.
Periodontal Regeneration
Taking the next step beyond deep periodontal cleanings, surgical interventions like pocket reduction surgery (osseous surgery) are offered to help reshape gum and bone and eliminate deep bacterial pockets. Dr. Graser and his team perform specialized regenerative procedures using advanced techniques like bone grafts, guided tissue regeneration, and growth factors such as PRF to stimulate the body to regrow lost bone and gum tissue, truly restoring the structures damaged by periodontal disease.
Soft Tissue Grafting
A soft tissue graft involves adding new tissue to the gum line to address receding gums. At Willamette Valley Periodontics in McMinnville, we offer many different types of soft tissue grafting procedures, each tailored to the patient's desired results. Our team will discuss your goals for periodontal regeneration procedures like soft tissue grafting, and determine the ideal treatment plan for your smile.
Gingivectomy & Esthetic Crown Lengthening
A gingivectomy involves precisely removing excess gum tissue for health reasons, to reduce deep pockets, or for cosmetic reasons, to address a "gummy smile." Esthetic crown lengthening reshapes both the gums and underlying bone to reveal more of your natural tooth structure, creating the appearance of a more balanced smile.
Sinus Lift
If you're considering dental implants for your upper back teeth but have been told you lack sufficient bone in your upper jaw, a sinus lift might be the solution you need. The maxillary sinuses are air-filled cavities located just above your upper back teeth. When teeth in this area are lost, the sinus floor can sometimes drop. The resulting bone height is often inadequate for supporting the secure placement of dental implants.
A sinus lift, also known as sinus augmentation, is a common and highly successful surgical procedure that gently elevates the sinus floor and places bone graft material into the space created. Over several months, this grafted material integrates with your existing bone to create a solid foundation for dental implants.
Frenectomies
A frenum (or frenulum) is a piece of soft tissue that connects two parts of the mouth. Sometimes, these tissues can restrict the movement and function of the lips or tongue, which is where a frenectomy can help.
The most common frenectomies involve the lingual frenum, which connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth (often referred to as "tongue-tie"), or the labial frenum, which connects the upper lip to the gum above the front teeth. When these frenums are too short or too thick, they can interfere with speech, restrict tongue movement for eating, make it difficult to properly clean teeth, or even contribute to gum recession and gaps between teeth.
A frenectomy is a quick, precise surgical procedure designed to release or remove the restrictive tissue, often performed with a soft-tissue laser for minimal discomfort and rapid healing.
Tooth Extractions
While our primary goal at Willamette Valley Periodontics is always to preserve your natural teeth, sometimes a tooth extraction becomes necessary to preserve your oral health. An extraction is recommended when a tooth is severely damaged due to extensive decay, advanced periodontal disease causing significant bone loss, trauma, or when it's impacted (unable to emerge properly), like wisdom teeth. Our skilled team will administer local anesthesia before carefully, gently removing the tooth. We'll provide detailed post-operative instructions to ensure proper healing and explain your available tooth replacement options, such as dental implants, to help you maintain your bite, preserve jawbone health, and restore your confident smile.
Osseous Surgery (Pocket Reduction Surgery)
When gum disease (periodontitis) has advanced to a point where deep pockets have formed around your teeth, allowing bacteria to accumulate and damage bone, osseous surgery, also known as pocket reduction surgery, may be recommended. While thorough deep cleanings (scaling and root planing) are effective for milder cases, sometimes the bone and gum tissue around your teeth have been damaged in a way that creates irregular surfaces and deep spaces that are impossible to keep clean with daily brushing and flossing. These deep pockets act as breeding grounds for harmful bacteria, leading to further infection, bone loss, and eventually tooth loss if left untreated.
The primary goal of osseous surgery is to reduce or eliminate these periodontal pockets, creating a healthier environment that's easier for you to maintain. The procedure involves carefully folding back the gum tissue to gain access to the underlying bone and tooth roots. Our periodontist will then remove disease-causing bacteria, smooth any irregular or damaged bone surfaces, and reshape the bone around the teeth. This recontouring helps to reduce the depth of the pockets. The gum tissue is then gently re-positioned and secured, creating a tighter seal around the teeth. This procedure helps to prevent further bone loss, eliminates persistent infection, and creates a more manageable oral environment for long-term gum health, ultimately helping patients keep their natural teeth for many years to come.
Reclaim Your Healthiest Smile with Advanced Oral Surgery
If you're facing a complex oral health concern or if your dentist has recommended oral surgery, we invite you to experience the compassionate and expert care at Willamette Valley Periodontics. Our dedicated team is here to listen to your needs, explain every step of the process, and ensure your comfort.
Contact us today to schedule your consultation—it's the ideal opportunity to discuss your specific situation, learn about your treatment options, and discover how our specialized approach can help restore your oral health and confidence.
