Oral Surgery
Extractions:
In certain cases it becomes necessary to remove a tooth. The following list?contains some?good examples of those situations.
tooth in front of the impaction, and jaw bone?damaging cysts can all occur.
Dr. Melnick believes in and practices extraction in his own unique way based on his years of experience. Teeth are extracted?with as little trauma as possible. Rather than apply heavy forces and create a series of complication and delayed healing,?Dr. Melnick?prefers to use?"Finesse not Force". By disconnecting the tooth from the fibers?that attach it to the?bone around it, most teeth come out easily. It is a rare?exception when more is needed.?Drs. objective is to make the tooth so loose that it can be lifted out with his fingers.
Dr. Melnick has researched and?developed his own?unique procedure to minimize post-operative complications. A material that improves blood clotting is placed in the empty socket. Next, a wide spectrum antibiotic is also?placed into?the socket.? From?years of experience, Dr. Melnick?has found this process greatly reduces the chances of problems after the extraction.
At times, Dr. Melnick, a leadind Encino dentist in his own right, refers complex extractions and?general anesthesia cases?to one of?several carefully selected specialists. The best interests of the patient is always the top priority. All of the patients options are carefully explained.
There are?several important steps that must be followed in any surgical case. First, a medical history needs to be taken. Next an x-ray should be taken to determine the position of the tooth and?if there are any possible complications or unusual situations present. If an infection is present an antibiotic will be prescribed for several days prior to the procedure to eliminate the possibility of spreading the infection. Frequently a sedative, antibiotic, or an anti-inflamatory medication?will be prescribed prior to the visit.
After the procedure the patient and their family members will be fully?informed on the necessary care following an extraction. This will include both verbal and written instructions. Supplies will be given so they are available if?needed.?Follow up visits are always recommended to check healing.
BELOW you can see several illustrations of important issues in oral surgery situations. To the?LEFT is a horizontal impaction what can severely damage the tooth in front of it. In the LEFT?CENTER is a vertical impaction. Because of thick bone above it the tooth can never erupt into a normal position. Infections and pain are often associated with this type of impaction. In the RIGHT CENTER picture there are two reasons that this tooth would likely be extracted. Very large decay has entered and destroyed most of the tooth structure and caused an abscess to form at the end of the root. This would?have a hopeless prognosis.The diagram to the?RIGHT shows the tissue that connects the bone to the tooth. This was referred to above in the description of Dr. Melnick's "trauma-less" technique for extracting a tooth; the easy way.
 Horizontal Impaction |
 Vertical Impaction |
 Extraction Situation |
 Tissue Release Points |
Biopsy:
When Dr. Melnick observes an area in the tissues of the mouth that appears abnormal, he can remove a small sample for further examination. The sample is preserved and sent to a pathology lab for microscopic examination. With?their information a treatment decision can be made. Being on of the most cautious of all Encino dentists we have found the vast majority of biopsies are negative in our Encino dental office. He feels it is far better to do biopsies of suspicious tissues?than it is?to miss one oral cancer. The procedure is quite simple and done with local anesthesia. A small bit of tissue is removed and a suture closes the area. There are few post operative problems.