An oral surgeon (known formally as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon) is a dental specialist. After spending eight years in college and graduate school earning a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree, oral surgeons are required to complete an additional 4-6 years of hospital-based training alongside medical residents.

As the name implies, oral surgeons focus strictly on performing dental surgical procedures. These procedures include simple and complicated teeth extractions (including wisdom teeth), dental implant placement, repair of broken bones in the jaws and face, removal of cysts and tumors of the jaws, soft tissue biopsies, jaw realignment surgery to correct bite discrepancies, and cosmetic and TMJ surgeries.

Further, oral surgeons are uniquely trained and qualified to offer patients the ability to have their surgeries performed with a variety of anesthesia options right in our office, including general anesthesia (an excellent option for the anxious patient to “go to sleep” for the procedure) and IV sedation for minor procedures.

Oral surgeons also work in facilities specially equipped with state-of-the-art technology dedicated to oral surgery, meaning you’re sure to receive the best, most comfortable care before, during, and after your procedure. At our practice, we have a cone beam CT scanner and digital scanning and impressions equipment. We also utilize computers to assist in technology referred to as Virtual Surgical Planning to perform the surgery on the computer prior to actual surgery. This allows our doctors to perform the surgeries with more precision and accuracy.

Finally, when it comes to dental implants, due to their in-depth familiarity with the bones of the jaw, oral surgeons are better able to accurately assess the likelihood of long-term dental implant success or determine whether an initial bone graft would make the patient a better candidate for the treatment. In fact, the results of a recent survey published in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) suggest that dental implant survival and success rates in dental surgery practices are higher than the same procedures performed by general dentists.

We want you to have the most comfortable dental treatment experience possible. That's why we offer sedation to help you relax. Many people prefer to be “asleep” – through anesthesia – during procedures such as teeth extractions, bone grafting, sinus lifts, and implant surgeries. In some cases of dental anxiety, even minor procedures can be comfortably performed under sedation.

Our Oral Surgeon, Dr. Kwon, is fully trained and licensed in the administration of sedation and general anesthesia. Our assistants are trained and licensed in surgical assisting, patient monitoring, and recovery. And our safety record is impeccable.