As you contemplate or prepare for oral surgery, it’s natural to have questions and concerns. With myriad procedures, pre-operative measures, and post-surgical care routines, the world of oral surgery can often seem complex. Our goal is to clear up any uncertainty or confusion you may have.
Whether you’re taking the first steps in your oral surgery journey or simply seeking additional information, we hope these insights will be invaluable.
If your question isn’t covered here, or if you need a more in-depth explanation, our dedicated team at Virginia Advanced Surgical Arts is always available to assist.
Questions About Virginia Advanced Surgical Arts
We have offices in McLean, Reston, and Leesburg dedicated to serving patients in the DC Metro Area.
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) is a dentist who has completed specialized training in surgery of the mouth, jaws, face, and neck. They are experts in diagnosing and treating a wide range of conditions, including:
Wisdom teeth removal
Dental implants
TMJ disorders
Facial trauma
Cleft lip and palate repair
Tumor removal
Cosmetic surgery
Maxillofacial reconstruction
OMSs are also trained to provide anesthesia, so they can perform surgery in an office setting or in a hospital.
Many patients make decisions about their care solely based on their insurance coverage. What they don’t realize is that their out-of-pocket expense may be the same whether they visit a participating or non-participating dental provider. Each plan is different and may have annual maximums or maximums on specific services, deductibles, non-covered procedures, and pre-existing condition limitations.
It is imperative that you remember your health is priority number one. Our insurance coordinators work hard to maximize your reimbursement and are here to help you make sense of the complex world of dental insurance.
We also accept check, credit card, or CareCredit. Please know that payment is due at the time of service
Wisdom Teeth Removal Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you should have their wisdom teeth removed depends on your specific situation. The only way to know for sure if wisdom teeth should be taken out is to schedule a consultation with Virginia Advanced Surgical Arts.
While patients can have their wisdom teeth removed at any point during their lives, our surgeons recommend that patients start looking into the procedure around age 16.
By this point, all the permanent teeth should be in place, so it will be easier for our doctors to see if there is room in the mouth for the wisdom teeth to emerge and if they’re impacted. Removing your wisdom teeth sooner rather than later reduces the chances of complications.
For most patients, having their wisdom teeth removed all at once is the best approach. When all four teeth are removed in one procedure, the patient just needs to have one surgery, reducing costs and making it easier to recover.
Questions About Corrective Jaw Surgery
There are cases in which an insurance company will cover this cost. You can contact our office and our team can help find if your insurance covers any of this procedure.
Our oral surgeons suggest that patients rest and take off work for a full week and imited activity for an additional 1-2 weeks.
The short answer is no. Results won’t be visible for some time due to swelling you’ll likely experience after the procedure. However, your post-op appointments should give you a great opportunity to compare your before and after photos and to see the aesthetic difference. As you heal, you should notice a significant improvement in comfort and function.
Questions About Dental Implants
Implants can last a lifetime if they’re properly cared for. We recommend that you care for the implant the same way you would natural teeth. Brush your teeth twice a day, floss once a day and use an anti-bacterial mouthwash along with normal appointments with your regular dentist.
You can replace one, multiple or all of your missing teeth with dental implants. For folks only missing one tooth, a dental implant is great as they don’t affect surrounding teeth like bridges and crows do. For those missing multiple teeth, dental implants have more benefits than other tooth replacement times and can restore eating, chewing and speaking abilities.
Sedation Dentistry Questions
No, this approach doesn’t put you to sleep, but it does put you at a different level of unconsciousness. It should feel as if only minutes have passed between the time that you walked into the room and the time to go home.
IV sedation should wear off quickly. The affects are limited since our oral surgeons' control the flow of medication during the procedure.
Questions About Botox Injections
Botox can help the face relax so the following types of wrinkles are less apparent:
The forehead, which creases when a person is surprised or angry
The area between the eyebrows (glabella), which often looks wrinkled when a person is concentrating
The corners of the eyes (crow’s feet), which can appear when a person is smiling
While individual results may vary, most folks see their results last for about four months. Botox’s effects start to wear off after that period, allowing the muscles to start contracting and the wrinkles begin to become more prominent.
Additional Questions?
If you have any additional questions about these or any other procedures, call Virginia Advanced Surgical Arts’ McLean office at (703) 388-2805, Reston office at (571) 595-3223, or Leesburg office at (703) 723-5366.
