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Surgical Care

Dental surgery is sometimes necessary to treat oral infection, prevent problems or to replace lost bone or soft tissue. Common types of oral surgery include:

Removal of third molars, or ‘wisdom teeth’.
Most patients do not have enough room in their mouth to retain third molars, which typically erupt during the late teenage years. They are also extremely difficult to keep clean, making them prone to decay and infection. Watch the American Dental Association® video about Wisdom Teeth:


Extraction of a non-restorable tooth.
If a tooth has extensive decay or has become extremely loose due to periodontal disease, it might not be possible to restore it to health; the tooth may require extraction to prevent pain or infection.

Our dentists recommend restoring damaged tooth structure with a filling, root canal or crown whenever possible, and treating periodontal (gum) disease at the first sign of infection to avoid tooth loss. In the event a tooth cannot be saved, Dr. Dominique or Dr. Carl may recommend replacement with a dental implant or bridge to prevent other teeth from shifting and becoming damaged as a result.


Placement of dental implants.
Dental implants are small prosthetic cylinders that are used to replace the root of a missing tooth; after they are placed, they are restored with a crown, bridge or implant denture. Read more about dental implants.


Grafting procedures to replace bone or soft tissue.
Bone grafting and soft tissue grafting procedures are used for a variety of dental reasons, they can be used in conjunction with dental implant procedures to improve the health of an implant site, or, in cases of advanced gum recession, soft tissue grafting procedures may be used to replace lost gum tissue and protect exposed tooth root surfaces.


Periodontal (gum) surgical procedures for treatment of infection around tooth roots.
When periodontal disease has progressed deep below the gums, it may be necessary for the dentist or periodontist to access to these areas via surgery to remove infected tissue and bacterial deposits on tooth root surfaces and promote healing.


Crown lengthening or bone shaping procedures to support restorative dentistry.
If a tooth does not have enough exposed structure to support a dental crown or bridge, it may be necessary to re-shape or remove excess gum and bone to achieve a good fit, essentially ‘lengthening’ the crown of the natural tooth. Other types of bone and tissue modification procedures are sometimes performed to support complete dentures or dental implants.

Our Montgomery Dental Arts dentists, Dr. Dominique Askew Shamburger and Dr. Carl Shamburger, perform many surgical procedures in our practice. In some cases, they work with dental specialists, including oral surgeons, periodontists (gum specialists) and endodontists (root canal specialists); these specialty dentists become part of your dental care team to assist our doctors with restoring your oral health.

If you have questions about dental surgical procedures, or have dental problems, we can assist you with compassionate solutions to meet your goals for your smile. Contact Montgomery Dental Arts to schedule a complete dental examination and consultation.