Oral and maxillofacial surgeons have a minimum of four to six years of formal training beyond the four years of dental school. This training specifically involves the surgical removal of wisdom teeth. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the most proficient providers for the safe and effective removal of wisdom teeth, in addition to being the best at performing this type of oral surgery and this specific specialty sets the national standard of care for this surgery. Dr. Nordstrom has six years of hospital-based surgical training beyond his four years of dental school, and has formal medical training. Moreover, he takes this surgery very seriously and puts patient safety as the number one priority.

Another reason for wisdom teeth removal is when they are impacted. An impaction simply means that your wisdom teeth have developed beneath your gums and have grown in a way where they are trapped and cant properly surface.

If your wisdom teeth develop in the wrong space, it may make space for and bacteria to get trapped, making you more susceptible to tooth decay and cavities. It also makes it difficult to floss in-between your wisdom teeth and other molars when they grew in extremely close to each other.

When your wisdom teeth begin to surface and then dont completely develop, it leaves you at greater risk for bacteria hang around the site and cause an infection. With a tooth infection, youll typically have pain, stiffness, and swelling in your jaw and at the site of the tooth.

Wisdom teeth that are both below the surface and those that have developed need to be monitored for potential risks. Connect with our oral surgeons to come up with an action plan for your wisdom teeth today!

Dental implants may be small but they are not simple, and there are dental implants that can be uncomplicated just as often as theyre complicated. To adequately perform dental implants at a high level an oral surgeon must understand and be able to provide a skilled treatment for dental implants at all stages.

Planning starts from before tooth extractions occur until there are implants ready to be fitted for the final crown. Dr. Nordstrom is very thorough in treatment planning and discussing plans with patients, and can provide the highest standard of dental implant treatment available. Dr. Nordstrom also has contemporary training in the All on 4 implant treatment procedure, allowing you to have this performed to the national standard at a competitive cost without patients having to travel to the lower 48.

By having Dr. Nordstrom involved in your implant treatment you get a highly skilled surgeon to perform the implant surgery, and your dentist to perform the crown restoration. This also ensures that at least two doctors will be able to evaluate and participate in your care and each is performing the service for which they are specifically trained.

If dental implants are a new experience for you, you are in excellent hands with AOFS. Because we provide patient-centered oral surgery care combined with the most advanced technology and skillful oral surgeons, our positive patient outcomes are undeniable.

Once the dental implant is placed, youll undergo what is referred to as osseointegration, where the bone begins to grow together with your dental implant to strengthen and improve its integrity. Osseointegration requires a few months of healing, but then you are able to go about your normal activities. For the first couple of weeks, you may need to be on a soft foods diet while youre healing and then gradually move into regular foods.

Once your dental implant has healed and is bonded with your jawbone, the next step is an abutment. This is a small connector device that is secured right above the gumline, it is important to note at times the abutment can be placed at the time of the implant check with your oral surgeon.

Once your gums heal from the abutment, the oral surgeon will begin crafting your new teeth after impressions have been taken. The teeth attached to the abutment, and though they cant decay, it is vital to impart general dental hygiene practices (brushing and flossing) to your new teeth.

Bone grafting is sometimes necessary to restore areas of decreased bone beneath the gums due to tooth loss from cavities, gum disease, injury, and tumors. Bone grafting makes it possible for dental implants to be placed in patients who would otherwise have too little bone to hold an implant.

In some cases, with missing upper teeth, your surgeon may recommend that you receive sinus lift grafting prior to placement of dental implants to assure that the implant has enough room to fit below your nasal cavity. The bone used for bone grafting can be obtained from:

When we think of bone, we think of an extremely hard substance that is inflexible and a material incapable of change. The truth of the matter is, bone and teeth in particular, are fluid and constantly remodeling itself. Between osteoclasts breaking down bone tissue and osteoblasts creating the bone matrix your teeth, and its supportive bones, are in constant motion.

Both your mandible and maxillary bones (jaw bones) support your teeth, and this can be both helpful and harmful. For example, when you seek orthodontic care the orthodontist is able to manipulate your jaw bones into a better position with braces, making your jaw bones extremely adaptable and improving both the aesthetics and functioning of your mouth. On the other hand, if you lose a tooth as an adult and it is not addressed, the bone around it will begin to reabsorb, and as a result, cause facial abnormalities. Not only does this cause aesthetic issues, but over time, it can make it extremely difficult to replace the missing tooth.

Oftentimes, the bone grafting material can come right from your own body, but also can be taken from animal or human donors. It can also be composed of synthetic materials such as granules, powder, putty, or gels injected through a syringe.

One of Dr. Nordstroms primary areas of focus is in corrective jaw surgery treatment. In addition to his local practice, he maintains privileges and operates at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. There he operates specifically in the areas of jaw correction and joint reconstruction surgery.

Dr. Nordstrom cares greatly about the impact this surgery can have on patients but understands the financial challenges it can mean to families, which is why he will work hard to make surgery possible for patients in need of this type of care.

As we mentioned above, jaw surgery treats a myriad of oral health issues ranging from skeletal discrepancies to post-traumatic facial deformities. The jaw is just as important as our teeth and impacts both our overall oral health and our quality of life greatly.

When you partner with Alaska Center For Oral + Facial Surgery, you get a world-class staff of oral surgeons who have committed their careers to finding the best corrective jaw solutions for their patients. Their approach is very team centered and they often consult with each other and develop a treatment plan that is the absolute best. Combine their skills, knowledge, and experience with a state-of-the-art facility and you have the leading oral surgery facility in Alaska, if not the entire country.

Jaw and joint pain relief If you experience jaw pain from bones that are misaligned, it causes direct strain on the temporomandibular joints. If left untreated, it can result in chronic pain and may lead to the development of TMJ.

An improved bite Once the jaws are in alignment, it creates a better bite function that leads to better biting, chewing, and swallowing. This benefits the patient greatly as they can enjoy foods that they werent able to prior to the surgery.

Healthier teeth When the teeth are misaligned this causes increased pressure on certain teeth. This pressure leads to wear and tear that not only grinds on teeth but can, over time, result in tooth decay and tooth loss. When this is corrected, teeth are healthier and avoid any unnecessary wear and tear.