Home › Dental Services
Dental Services
Port Angeles, WA
Dental Services provided by Stephen J. Turella, DMD
in Port Angeles, WA at Turella Oral Surgery
At Turella Oral Surgery, we offer oral surgery, dental implants, and sedation options that are right for you and your particular dental situation. Call or come visit our Port Angeles, WA office to discuss the options that are right for you.
Specializing in Oral Surgery
Oral surgery is a specialist branch of dentistry that refers to procedures performed in the mouth. It is quite common for patients to require the services of an oral surgeon. For example, tooth extractions are considered to be oral surgery procedures. There is no need to be anxious that you are having surgery.
If you need oral surgery, be sure to schedule an appointment with our board-certified oral surgeon, Dr. Turella. You will be in safe hands with our highly trained and skilled surgeon who is a specialist in the field. We ensure you will receive the care you need and the best outcome.
While all general dentists are licensed by a State Board of Examiners, those dentists who go on to specialize in areas such as oral surgery take additional training beyond standard licensing requirements with an appropriate certifying board.
In the specialty of oral surgery, a dentist may become a member of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, which indicates the gold standard in the field. Board-certified dentists undertake a wide variety of cases that require expertise in issues that affect the mouth and the face.
Teeth Extraction
Teeth extraction is one of the most common procedures performed by oral surgeons. Extraction, including wisdom tooth extraction, is also considered a simple form of oral pathology, which Dr. Turella can assess and treat.
Expertise is required for the removal of wisdom teeth that have grown at an angle, or for tooth extractions that may be more complex because of injury or infection.
Corrective Jaw Surgery
Misaligned bites (malocclusion) that cannot be corrected by using braces (orthodontics) may need to be alleviated with orthognathic surgery. This includes procedures to move either the upper or lower jaw to correct asymmetry and correct problems such as overbite or underbite.
TMJ Problems
Oral surgeons have a wide knowledge of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), problems with the joint where the jawbone joins the skull. Pain and discomfort in the area may be attributed to several causes, including misaligned teeth, bruxism (teeth grinding or clenching), injury, stress, or arthritis.
Stephen J. Turella, DMD provides TMJ treatment at our Port Angeles, WA clinic.
Facial Trauma
Minor and complex facial injuries to the bones and nerves, including oral tissues, cheek, jaws, nasal bones, and eye sockets are treated by oral surgeons.
Dental Implants
One of the most common forms of oral surgery that we perform is dental implant surgery.
Dental implants are surgically positioned into the jawbone and potentially may involve more than one surgical procedure depending on the condition of the jawbone and whether there is a loss of bone. Dr. Turella has extensive knowledge of the jawbone and surrounding areas, as well as the expertise to manage complications that may arise from these types of surgeries.
What are the Sedation Options for Dental Implants?
People who have missing teeth are usually the best candidates for dental implants, which is an effective solution to issues that result from gaps in the mouth. It is normal to be anxious about having a dental implant procedure, usually because of the pain involved. To help you feel at ease and more comfortable during the process, our team at Turella Oral Surgery offers different sedation options guaranteed to make the entire procedure smooth.
Depending on the extent of a patient's dental damage, our team can recommend the most effective sedation solution. However, most implant procedures are done without the need for anesthesia, but they can be administered according to the preference of the oral or dental surgeon.
What are the Types of Anesthesia Used for Dental Implants?
The most common types of anesthesia used for dental implants are: local, general, and conscious sedation.
Local Anesthesia
Local anesthesia is preferred for patients who intend to have less than three dental implants installed since it is sufficient to keep them comfortable during the entire procedure.
An assessment is usually carried out to determine the full extent of the damage before recommending the most effective sedation option.
Since implant installment is usually a simple outpatient procedure that does not require you to be unconscious, local anesthesia is the most appropriate solution.
General Anesthesia
Gaps left unattended for an extended period can lead to the loss of bone mass in the jaw, which requires a bone graft to provide sufficient support for the implants.
In these cases, dental and oral surgeons will opt for a more substantial sedation option that will render you unconscious throughout the entire process. General anesthesia is more robust than local anesthesia and the best sedation solution for extensive procedures.
Conscious Sedation
During an implant installment procedure, another sedation solution used by our dental and oral practitioners is conscious sedation. This is an effective solution that ensures you are comfortable and relaxed through the entire procedure, and it is administered in pill form or nitrous oxide gas.
Once this type of sedation is used, the patient is fully aware of their surroundings and can respond to questions asked by the dentist. To guarantee that you are conscious through the procedure, most practitioners will combine it with local sedation.
What are the Benefits of Sedation for Dental Implant Placement?
The benefits of sedation during dental implant procedures range from relieving anxiety, pain, and stress to causing amnesia for the patient's benefit and reducing the natural gag reflex.
| • |
The critical reason sedation is used for this procedure is to relieve anxiety, allowing the dentist to carry out the process seamlessly and with ease.
It is common for patients to experience pre-procedure anxiety, primarily if they are concerned with the pain associated with the procedure.
|
| • |
Sedation helps them relax and instills confidence that you will not feel any pain.
|
| • |
Sedation and anesthesia cause anterograde amnesia, which is a good way of dealing with implant placement phobia.
|
| • |
Despite amnesia being undesirable, most patients prefer sedation because of the numbing effect it provides. It also relieves the patient of any memory of the procedure, enabling them to schedule regular appointments with the dentist confidently.
|
| • |
Pain is the main reason why sedation has become common for most dental procedures, especially when installing the posts that act as roots for dental implants.
|
| • |
With the procedure being potentially uncomfortable and distressing, dentists use various sedation options to make the process more comfortable for patients.
|
| • |
Sedation is a remedy to reduce the constant gag reflex that occurs during the installment procedure. |
Schedule a Consultation with Your Port Angeles Oral Surgeon Today!
If you have any questions regarding oral surgery, dental implants, or the sedation options available for you, Turella Oral Surgery is here for you. Our primary focus is to ensure that you undergo a safe procedure that guarantees a healthy, lasting smile. Contact us at (360) 912-8244 to book a consultation or appointment. We look forward to hearing from you! |
