Michigan Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon

Wisdom Teeth - When Push Comes To Shove in Your Child's Mouth

When a child's permanent teeth appear, there's usually some push going on, hopefully in the right direction. Although any tooth can jostle its neighbors, the teeth that have the worst reputation are our third molars -- our wisdom teeth. They're the last to come out and often shove other teeth out of their way.

Most mouths can't usually accommodate wisdom teeth, and they end up pressuring the rest of the teeth, disrupting their alignment. They can often cause pain and swelling.

Routine X-rays, done when a person's around age 12, give us early warning of problem molars and tell us whether they need to be extracted. Wisdom teeth, like troublesome neighbors, everyone's a lot happier when they've moved out!

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Oral Surgery for Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction - TMJ

If you're having problems with TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction), your diagnosis doesn't have to be guesswork. Your dentist or oral surgeon can see joint structures clearly and start your treatment with confidence.

You or someone you know may have had arthroscopic surgery to fix a knee, shoulder or hip injury, especially if the injury was sports related. But more and more dentists and are using this amazing tool for jaw disorders.

The arthroscope is a small microscope that is inserted into the jaw joint to monitor the surgery. We can watch closely as intrusive tissues -- that limit jaw mobility and impinge on nerves -- are cleared away.

Since the arthroscope is less than 2 millimeters, there's no need for sutures and you won't experience any scarring.

This procedure is done under general anesthesia and requires a short hospital stay. You may also need therapy to limber jaw movement. The good news is that patients who have arthroscopic jaw surgery experience almost immediate relief from their TMJ symptoms and a rapid recovery.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.