Retained Baby Teeth

Doctors Nick Mobilia and Harvey Grossman of Elite Dental Arts in Midtown are experienced providers of oral surgery. This makes our practice one of the most suitable for patients who need to have teeth replaced. Although it is our goal to save natural teeth whenever possible, there is one situation in which extraction is usually the best choice: when adults retain baby teeth.

Normally, the roots of baby teeth dissolve as adult teeth erupt. The baby tooth falls out and is replaced by the adult crown, possibly with some overcrowding. But the baby tooth may never fall out if no adult tooth ever develops. This is rare, nut most often occurs in the upper lateral incisors. There are also cases in which the incoming tooth never pushes out the baby tooth because one of them is misaligned, as sometimes happens in the lower central incisors.

“Retained deciduous teeth,” as baby teeth in adults are scientifically known, can create a health hazard in addition to looking displeasing. They are often misaligned in a way that makes them difficult to clean or chew comfortably with. Extracting them is usually a simple process, but orthodontic work or false replacements may be necessary to finish a patient’s treatment.

Nick M. Mobilia, DDS
ELITE DENTAL ARTS
9 East 45th Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10017

Post-Operative Swelling

We offer comprehensive care at Elite Dental Arts in Midtown, including restorations and cosmetic orthodontics. Particularly in these fields, there are times in a patient’s oral care when a tooth extraction or other kind of surgical procedure may be necessary. These procedures are safe and routine, but we want patients to understand issues relating to post-operative swelling so they will be less distressed and know whether they need to seek help.

When a tooth is removed, the body’s inflammatory response will be triggered. Typically, the amount of swelling a patient experiences will be proportionate to the difficulty of the procedure. A simple extraction is unlikely to cause much swelling, but an operation requiring incisions into the gums will cause a lot. In the first twenty-four hours after surgery, the patient should try to control the swelling by applying cold packs. The cold pack should be kept on for fifteen minutes at a time and then removed for fifteen-minute intervals. After thirty-six hours, the patient should switch to hot packs, with similar protections to avoid scalding. It is typical for swelling to peak three or four days after the procedure. If it continues to swell past that point or fails to go down, or the area looks black, you should inform us.

Another important point is that a patient’s lips will feel strange after being injected with anesthetic. Biting down on them could cause them to swell, which isn’t ideal but should go down after a few days. But if the lips smell bad or pus leaks from them, they may have become infected and the patient will need antibiotics.

Nick M. Mobilia, DDS
ELITE DENTAL ARTS
9 East 45th Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

Why are Wisdom Teeth Removed?

Everyone has a set of wisdom teeth, but this set of ‘final molars’ often stays impacted.  Some patients experience these teeth beginning to erupt, usually between the ages of 17 and 24.  Even when that happens, there is not enough space in the mouth for these wisdom teeth to grow, which is why Dr. Nick Mobilia, DDS of Elite Dental Arts typically recommends extraction. 

Keeping wisdom teeth too long can cause oral discomfort, headaches, damage the surrounding teeth and put a patient at risk for infection. If you experience swollen or tender gums around the wisdom teeth, jaw pain, or facial swelling, give us a call. We can determine if you need your wisdom teeth removed, and discuss sedation options and procedure with you.  The procedure will include stitches and some down time, but following instructions, a patient’s recovery shouldn’t take more than a week.

To learn more about your wisdom teeth and all the services we provide at the practice, visit www.elitedentalarts.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Nick Mobilia of Elite Dental Arts here in New York, NY, call our office at 212-681-0939.

Nick M. Mobilia, DDS
ELITE DENTAL ARTS

Dry Sockets

Though we at Elite Dental Arts strive to save our patients’ teeth, there are times when extractions are the best choice for ensuring overall oral health. In those cases, it is important to prevent the patient from developing a dry socket.

A dry socket occurs when there is no blood clot to protect the extraction site. The subsequent drying out is painful and puts the patient at risk of infection. A blood clot could fail to form if the patient is taking certain medication, such as birth control. It could also be knocked loose by suction, as when a patient sips through a straw, which is why we advise them not to do this.

However, dry sockets do sometimes happen. This may not even be the patient’s fault—complicated extractions requiring incisions always have a higher risk. If a patient still suffers severe pain two days after the extraction, they should seek an emergency appointment. We’ll clean the socket with a vacuum, apply medicated wound dressing, and provide the patient with painkillers and antibiotics. We’ll want to monitor the patient more closely after that, but regularly changing the wound dressing should be all that’s needed.

Nick M. Mobilia, DDS, owns and operates Elite Dental Arts, at 9 East 45^th St, 6^th Floor, New York, New York, 10017. To set up an appointment, call 212-681-0939, or visit EliteDentalArts.com.



Nick M. Mobilia, DDS
ELITE  DENTAL ARTS
9 East 45th Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10017                                                                                       (212)681-0939

Wisdom Tooth Extraction

sdom teeth extractions are a fairly common procedure. Wisdom tooth extraction is a surgical procedure to remove one or more wisdom teeth – the four permanent adult teeth located at the back corners of your mouth on the top and bottom. If a wisdom tooth doesn’t have room to grow (impacted tooth), this will result in pain, infection, or other dental problems and you will likely need to have it pulled. Depending on their preference, doctors at Elite Dental Arts will administer one of three types of anesthesia, depending on the expected complexity of the wisdom tooth extraction and your comfort level.

The gum tissue around the wisdom tooth is cut open to reveal the tooth. The tooth is loosened by gripping it tightly and wiggling it back and forth until it can be lifted out of the gums. Sometimes a tooth may be impacted so tightly that it cannot be simply lifted out of the gums. In cases like this the tooth will be broken up into pieces first before being removed. Depending on the incision and extraction site, sutures may be needed to close the area. Soluble sutures are the best option, which will dissolve on their own.

If you haven’t had your wisdom teeth removed and it is beginning to cause discomfort, schedule a consultation with our doctors to discuss your options. To learn about wisdom teeth extractions and treatment visit the extractions page at www.elitedentalarts.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Elite Dental Arts in New York, NY, call 212-681-0939.

Wisdom teeth extractions are a fairly common procedure. Wisdom tooth extraction is a surgical procedure to remove one or more wisdom teeth – the four permanent adult teeth located at the back corners of your mouth on the top and bottom. If a wisdom tooth doesn’t have room to grow (impacted tooth), this will result in pain, infection, or other dental problems and you will likely need to have it pulled. Depending on their preference, doctors at Elite Dental Arts will administer one of three types of anesthesia, depending on the expected complexity of the wisdom tooth extraction and your comfort level.

The gum tissue around the wisdom tooth is cut open to reveal the tooth. The tooth is loosened by gripping it tightly and wiggling it back and forth until it can be lifted out of the gums. Sometimes a tooth may be impacted so tightly that it cannot be simply lifted out of the gums. In cases like this the tooth will be broken up into pieces first before being removed. Depending on the incision and extraction site, sutures may be needed to close the area. Soluble sutures are the best option, which will dissolve on their own.

 

If you haven’t had your wisdom teeth removed and it is beginning to cause discomfort, schedule a consultation with our doctors to discuss your options. To learn about wisdom teeth extractions and treatment, visit the extractions page at www.elitedentalarts.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Elite Dental Arts in New York, NY, call 212-681-0939.

Nick M. Mobilia, DDS
ELITE  DENTAL ARTS
9 East 45th Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10017
(212) 681-0939
drmobilia@EliteDentalArts.com
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