Northwest Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery is not offering the COVID-19 Vaccine at this time, however our board-certified oral surgeons strongly recommend those over 65 years of age, and/or those with a chronic medical condition, to sign-up as soon as possible to receive the COVID-19 Vaccine from your local provider.

Tori are benign (non-cancerous) growths of extra bone in the mouth.They most commonly occur on the tongue side of the lower jaw on both sides.  Tori also occur on the palate, or roof of the mouth. Approximately 40% of males and 20% of females may have these growths of bone.They may sometimes be associated with clenching or bruxing. 

Oral surgeons use X-rays to help diagnose disease, pathology, trauma, and dentofacial deformities that are not visible during a clinical examination. When examining X-rays, oral surgeons can more accurately identify issues worth addressing, such as impacted teeth or general decay. Many oral surgeons rely on panoramic X-rays or a Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scan as they develop plans for dental implants and other necessary procedures. Below are some answers to some commonly asked questions by our patients.

Sleep apnea is a condition that causes you to stop breathing suddenly when you are sleeping. There are different types of sleep apnea, including obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea and a combination of central and obstructive sleep apnea. All of these have different causes. Unfortunately, many people who have sleep apnea are not aware that they have this condition. Often times, sleep apnea is caught because a partner notices troubling signs while you are sleeping or you have excessive tiredness during the day. Here are a few of the risks of untreated sleep apnea. 

Before any minor or major oral surgery procedure, such as wisdom teeth extraction, extraction of non-restorable teeth and grafting the site with bone, placement of dental implants, oral surgical procedures to aid orthodontic treatment, jaw surgery for fracture of facial bones or reconstruction of jaw deformities, your oral surgeon will provide you with a treatment plan that outlines the procedure that will be done, the type of anesthesia that will be used, and post-procedure recovery and follow-up. During this time, you should also inform them about any pre-existing medical conditions you may have as these conditions may impact the surgical procedure, the anesthesia, recovery and outcomes.

Regularly brushing and flossing are necessary habits to keep your teeth and gums healthy. However, many people have other not-so-healthy habits that will negatively impact their long-term oral health.

Below is a list of the worst dental habits. If any of these habits are something that you do, we encourage you to find a way to break them once and for all! 

When you lose a tooth, you generally have two replacement options: a dental implant or a dental bridge. Today, dental implants are the preferred method of treatment for most oral health professionals and their patients. Dental implants are the preferred method of tooth replacement because they are a permanent solution (which means they are non-removable and as close to a real, natural tooth as you can get). The strength and durability of an implant improves the patient’s comfort, speech, eating and overall oral health.

Millions of people lose money come January by not using their dental benefits by the end of the year. If you have insurance, you pay for it all year long, so why not make sure you are getting your money's worth by using your benefits before the year ends? You might have benefits through your insurance plan, or you might have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) that may need to be used by the end of the year.

Oral health is important in all stages of life. As you age, you may face unique oral health challenges that don't affect younger patients as frequently. Below is some information about the oral health issues elderly patients are most likely to encounter, as well as the available treatments. 

Pediatric Oral Surgery may be needed when a child’s teeth are growing abnormally, have become infected or an accident has damaged them in some irreparable way. Irregularities happen, but the most important thing to remember is to deal with them promptly so that the condition doesn’t permanently affect the child’s dental development.