Mullica Hill Oral Surgeons

There are problems with the mouth and face that are too complex for the dental office, and patients are often sent to oral and maxillofacial surgeons to address those problems.

The idea of surgery is never a welcome one, perhaps even less so when one considers the sensitive areas of the mouth and jaw. Problems with the mouth and jaw are often painful and complex, and patients and their families are looking for experienced professionals to fix the issue. For Mullica Hill area residents, there is a practice close to home, one that offers not only decades of glowing patient reviews, but also a set of well-known patients for hockey fans, the Philadelphia Flyers National Hockey League (NHL) team, which the practice has treated for over 25 years.

Procedures We Offer

Here are some of the problems that the surgical team at Lanzi Burke treat:

Dental implants. When a person loses teeth or has failing teeth that will need to be extracted, it impacts not just the way they chew and the foods they choose to eat, but their confidence and their social interactions.

Dental implants offer these patients replacement teeth that are kept secure to the mouth via titanium screws, then heal with the bone tissue.

With technological advances in oral surgery, patients can now get temporary but fully functional teeth in the first visit. This process, called Teeth in a Day, is offered by Lanzi Burke.

Jaw surgery. People can be born with an irregular bite or have their jaw damaged in an accident. An irregular bite impacts the way a person chews and smiles, and it damages teeth. It also can impact the way a person speaks and how they feel about their appearance. The process to correct these issues is called orthognathic surgery. Lanzi Burke oral surgeon Dr. Jonathan Burke underwent this type of surgery himself for a bite problem as a young man.

Sleep apnea surgery. Sleep apnea is a condition that unfortunately often goes undiagnosed, as it is serious and can be deadly. It is also treatable.

Most often, sleep apnea presents itself when the person who has it snores and loved ones wake up from the noise. However, the problem is more than noise. Those who have sleep apnea have irregular breathing and can stop breathing for brief periods while sleeping. The American Sleep Apnea Association estimates that about 38,000 Americans die each year of heart disease with sleep apnea as a complicating factor.

TMJ surgery. One of the most complex, strongest joints in the body, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) acts as a hinge for the jaw and allows people to eat, talk, and swallow without pain.

The joint can become diseased or damaged, making mouth movement painful. One cause of TMJ pain is teeth grinding, a problem that many people have in their sleep and cause their mouth to hurt. This is called bruxism.

Often, those who grind their teeth are recommended to wear a mouth guard, which is formed to fit their teeth at night and keep the top and bottom jaw from grinding. This is often enough to stop the problem, but sometimes, TMJ surgery will be needed to correct the grinding.

The TMJ can also become damaged from structural problems in the jaw or diseases. Once this is verified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the doctor may recommend surgery.

Types of TMJ surgery include:

Arthrocentesis. In this procedure, fluid is injected into the joint to wash it out and reduce inflammation, with the goal of reducing the pressure that made the joint stiff and painful and to give the jaw more range of motion.
Arthroscopy. Opening a small hole or a few small holes in the skin above the joint, or arthroscopy, is one type of TMJ surgery. This procedure allows for repair of the joint in many ways, including scar tissue removal, joint reshaping, medication injection, and pain or swelling relief. Arthroscopy is less invasive than open surgery, so recovery time for patients is typically about a week.
Open joint surgery. Severe TMJ may require this type of surgery. It involves an incision a few inches long over the joint. The surgeon can then operate on the joint so that excess tissue and bony growths can be removed. This type of surgery also enables the doctor to repair or position the soft cartilage disk that acts as a cushion between the bones of the joint to allow for smooth movement. If the disk is beyond repair, the surgeon may replace it with an artificial disk or with the patient’s own tissue.

Wisdom tooth removal. People become concerned about removal of wisdom teeth and whether it is necessary. Some people may think the wisdom teeth are teeth that should stay in one’s mouth.

However, wisdom teeth, which often present at the end of adolescence/early adulthood, create overcrowding in the mouth and often, cysts and gum disease. It is often necessary to remove wisdom teeth and finding an experienced oral surgeon to remove them will make the patient and the patient’s family more comfortable.

Craniofacial implants. A person’s face can be disfigured from disease, trauma, burns, an accident, or a congenital defect. The surgical team at Lanzi Burke offers craniofacial implants that allow patients to have a lifelike replacement that stays firmly in place.

Using titanium implants, called fixtures or screws, placed into the bone near the impacted area, the prosthesis is offered a permanent and stable method to stay attached through a process called osseointegration.

What to Expect on the First Visit

To book an appointment at the Woolwich Township office of Lanzi Burke Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, first, complete the online Patient Registration Form. After the form is completed, the office will be in contact to schedule an appointment.

From that first visit, patients should expect:

An initial consultation including a mouth examination focusing on the problem area
A review of the patient’s medical history and any medicines that the patient is currently taking
Patients should expect to provide:

Copies of medical and insurance cards
Photo identification such as a driver’s license, school identification card, or passport
Referral from the dentist
Insurance referral
Recent X-rays

What to Do if Surgery Is Needed

To ensure the most positive outcome from the surgery, there are a few steps patients can take before the surgery date:

Patients should talk to their physician about continuing any prescription medications before the surgery date and when it is OK to resume after surgery is complete.
No food or drink for eight hours before surgery.
No tobacco 12 hours prior to surgery.
Come to surgery with a friend or relative who can stay during the procedure and drive home afterward. People who have received anesthesia should not drive for at least a day following the procedure.
Wear loose-fitting clothes for surgery appointments. Patients should be able to roll up their sleeves past the elbow.
Remove contact lenses, jewelry, and dentures before surgery.

Mullica Hill Oral Surgeons at Lanzi Burke Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Offer the Treatment Patients Need

If you need oral surgery, reach out to the Mullica Hill oral surgeons at Lanzi Burke Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons. Our team offers a variety of procedures to restore a healthy mouth and have you smiling brightly again. Call us today at 856-582-4222 or contact us online to make an appointment or schedule a consultation. Our offices are located in in Washington Township, Haddonfield, and Woolwich Township, New Jersey, and we are dedicated to helping patients throughout South Jersey.