Pedricktown Oral Surgeons

The mouth and jaw are critical to human life and used so much every day for breathing, chewing, eating, and talking. Problems in this area can be very painful, interfering with daily life and impacting confidence and the way the person interacts with others.

Oral or surgery to the jaw is not a welcome idea for anyone. However, if more conservative, non-invasive methods are not effective, the dentist will likely refer the person to an oral surgeon.

Luckily for residents in Pedricktown and the surrounding areas, there is an oral surgery practice close to home that offers 60 years of experience in dealing with mouth and jaw problems.

Lanzi Burke Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons offer proven, trusted experience in procedures that address problems in the mouth and jaw that people may have suffered because of trauma from an accident, burns, disease, or a birth defect. As the chosen oral surgeon of the Philadelphia Flyers National Hockey League (NHL) team for over 25 years, this expertise is proved over and again, game after game.

Surgical Procedures We Offer

Some procedures that the surgical team at Lanzi Burke offer include the following:

Wisdom tooth removal. It is common to be hesitant about removing wisdom teeth, which typically present themselves in adolescence or early adulthood. The reason a dentist will refer a person to an oral surgeon for wisdom teeth extraction is that wisdom teeth can overcrowd the mouth, create cysts, and result in gum disease.

Because of these problems, it is often necessary to remove wisdom teeth, and finding an experienced oral surgeon to perform the procedure will make the patient and the patient’s family more comfortable.

Sleep apnea surgery. Perhaps because it is accompanied by snoring, sleep apnea is most likely noticed by a patient’s loved ones before it is known to them. People with sleep apnea breathe irregularly while asleep, and they often stop breathing for short periods. This is a serious problem and unfortunately, it can be a deadly one. It is also treatable.

About 38,000 Americans die each year of heart disease with sleep apnea as a complicating factor, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association. It is estimated that about one in five adults have sleep apnea to some degree.

TMJ surgery. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) acts as a hinge for the jaw. It allows people to eat, talk, and swallow without pain.

One’s TMJ can become diseased or damaged, which will make mouth movement painful. Teeth grinding, a problem that, like sleep apnea, many people have in their sleep, can cause TMJ pain. This is calledbruxism.

Bruxism can be addressed by a mouth guard, which is often enough to stop the problem. Sometimes, TMJ surgery will be needed to correct the grinding.

Teeth grinding is not the only reason TMJ issues may need to be addressed. This important joint can also become damaged from structural problems in the jaw or diseases. With the guidance offered by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a surgeon will get needed information to determine what area is damaged and what can be done to address it.

Types of TMJ surgery include the following procedures:

Arthrocentesis. By injecting fluid into the joint to wash it out and reduce inflammation, arthrocentesis is performed with the goal of reducing the pressure that made the joint stiff and painful. The person suffering from TMJ pain should regain more range of motion in their jaw following the procedure.
Arthroscopy. By creating a small hole or a few small holes in the skin above the joint, arthroscopy allows for repair of the joint, including scar tissue removal, joint reshaping, and medication injection. The goal is to reduce swelling and relieve pain. Patients undergoing arthroscopy usually recover in about a week. It is less invasive than open-joint surgery.
Open-joint surgery. If TMJ disease is severe enough, it may require this type of surgery. This involves an incision a few inches long over the joint. Then the surgeon can operate on the joint and excess tissue and bony growths can be removed. Open-joint surgery enables a doctor to perform a discectomy. This procedure allows 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 this disk is damaged, the discectomy procedure can help. The surgeon may replace it with an artificial disk or with the patient’s own tissue.

Jaw surgery. This is also called orthognathic surgery. Jaw surgery is performed to correct problems from an irregular bite, which people may have had since birth, or if their jaw was damaged from trauma or disease. Because an irregular bite impacts the way a person talks, chews, and smiles and it damages teeth, a person may need the surgery to resume normal activities. Lanzi Burke oral surgeon Dr. Jonathan Burke underwent this type of surgery himself for a bite problem as a young man.

Dental implants. Teeth can fail, and then they need to be extracted. Others can be lost from an accident. Missing teeth affect not just the way people chew, but the food they can eat, the foods they will choose to eat, and the way they feel about themselves. All these issues unfortunately also impact their social interactions.

Technological advances have offered oral surgeons a secure, permanent way to address this problem that works as well as regular teeth and look like the person’s own teeth as well. Called dental implants, these replacement teeth are kept secure to the mouth via titanium screws that then heal with bone tissue.

Technological advances also enable a temporary solution for patients needing replacement teeth that stays secure and works as well as permanent dental implants. At Lanzi Burke, this procedure is called Teeth in a Day.

Craniofacial implants. Disfigurements of the face that are the result of disease, trauma, burns, accidents, and sometimes a congenital defect have a heavy impact on a person’s confidence and social interactions. The surgical team at Lanzi Burke offers facial prosthesis procedures, allowing patients to have a lifelike replacement facial feature that will remain firmly in place.

Because the craniofacial implant process starts with titanium fixtures or screws placed into the bone near the impacted area, the prosthesis is provided a permanent and stable method to stay attached.

What to Expect on the First Visit

Before getting an appointment at Lanzi Burke’s Woolwich office, complete the online Patient Registration Form. When the form is completed, office staff will be in contact to schedule an appointment.

From that first visit, patients should expect:

Initial mouth examination focused on the problem area and initial consultation
Review of the patient’s medical history and medicines

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

Steps to Take 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:

Talk to a physician about continuing prescription medications before the surgery date, and when it is acceptable to resume after surgery is complete.
No eating or drinking for eight hours before surgery.
No smoking or tobacco products for 12 hours prior to surgery. Patients are urged to quit smoking.
Enlist a friend or relative to stay during the procedure and drive home afterward. Remember, no driving for at least 24 hours following anesthesia.
Loose-fitting clothes are best for surgery. The patient should be able to roll up their sleeves past the elbow.
Remove contact lenses, jewelry, and dentures before surgery.

Pedricktown Oral Surgeons at Lanzi Burke Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Offer a Variety of Surgical Treatments

If you need oral surgery or require information on the types of procedures we perform, contact the Pedricktown oral surgeons at Lanzi Burke Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons. Our experienced team offers procedures to address a variety of issues with the mouth. For patients in the Pedricktown area, we can provide the needed treatment at our Woolwich office. Call us today at 856-582-4222 or contact us online to make an appointment or schedule a consultation. With offices in Washington Township, Haddonfield, and Woolwich Township, New Jersey, we are dedicated to helping patients throughout South Jersey.