Oral Surgery in Big Spring, TX

Tooth Extractions

Dr. David L. Ward and Dr. Alan Brunelli may recommend tooth extraction to protect your oral health if a tooth is severely damaged beyond repair. They prioritize gentle removal and post-procedure care, offering tooth replacement options to restore your smile’s health, beauty, and function. Tooth extraction becomes necessary due to severe infection, irreparable decay, or overcrowding. The team employs skillful techniques to ensure a comfortable experience and will provide thorough aftercare instructions to support your healing. Visit our dental office for a personalized consultation, where our commitment is to enhance and protect your smile through professional care and treatment solutions.

Socket Grafting

Many times, after a tooth has been removed, it is desirable to put a graft material (mineral graft material or actual bone from a tissue bank) in the socket. This speeds the healing of the bone, helps prevent a painful “dry socket,” and greatly reduces the amount of jaw and bone shrinkage after the extraction. Reducing shrinkage is helpful for any type of tooth replacement done in the future.

Wisdom Teeth Removal

In many cases, there isn’t enough space in the mouth for wisdom teeth to erupt properly, leading to potential damage and other dental health issues. Removing wisdom teeth can prevent these problems, such as misalignment of other teeth, decay, infections, cyst formation, and jawbone damage. The evaluation focuses on whether there’s a need for removal based on each individual’s tooth positioning and overall dental structure, aiming for a procedure that’s as comfortable as possible. This preventive approach is essential for maintaining oral health and avoiding serious complications. For further details on wisdom teeth removal, reaching out to a dental professional is advised.

Dental Implants

Implants are sophisticated devices that simulate the whole tooth structure, anchoring firmly to the jawbone just like the original roots. Ideal for single tooth gaps, widespread tooth loss, or full sets, the metal anchor is placed through surgery and, once fused with bone, is topped with a prosthetic piece. This restoration not only looks seamlessly natural but also promotes jaw strength and function. When maintained appropriately, an implant has the potential to serve one’s dental needs for life, enhancing both the functionality and aesthetics of one’s dentition.

Bone Grafting

Our dentists offer bone grafting to replenish lost bone tissue caused by missing teeth, periodontal disease, or other reasons, often as a preparatory step for dental implants. This surgical procedure involves augmenting the bone – either with a mineral graft material or actual bone sourced from a tissue bank – to areas of the jaw lacking sufficient height, density, or thickness. The jawbone integrates with the grafted material, establishing a robust and stable foundation necessary for supporting dental implants or as a requirement in some periodontal therapies where significant bone loss has occurred. Beyond preparing for implants, bone grafting plays a pivotal role in preserving jawbone integrity after tooth loss or extraction, preventing further deterioration, and enabling effective dental restorations. This step is often vital in ensuring that the jawbone is aptly prepared to support the long-term success of dental implants, thereby restoring functionality and aesthetics to the patient’s smile.