Wisdom Teeth, Dental Implants and Other Office Surgery

Wisdom teeth, whether erupted or impacted below the gum surface, may cause intermittent or recurrent infection, swelling, pain and discomfort. Even in the absence of pain, wisdom teeth may have cysts, which can silently grow and damage the adjacent bone or teeth with dental caries, periodontal disease or crowding. The underlying nerves may also be affected.


Dental Implants can replace missing teeth to help restore eating, speaking and smiling. Unlike cumbersome removable partial dentures or bridges that require the crowning of adjacent teeth, implants are a fixed single-tooth solution to a missing tooth problem. These root-like titanium implants placed by Dr. Prinsell osseointegrate (bond) with the jawbone to support overlying crown restorations that are fabricated by your dentist. Implants are not susceptible to dental caries or tooth sensitivity, and they also help preserve bone and gum levels, by minimizing the progressive jawbone loss that otherwise occurs with missing teeth.


For your convenience, teeth extractions, dental implants, biopsies, bone grafts and other oral surgery may be performed during the same office visit. The removal of four impacted wisdom teeth typically takes 30-45 minutes and may be accomplished with laughing gas and IV anesthesia to make one sleepy. It is advisable not to eat or drink approximately eight hours before surgery, and you must be accompanied by another adult to drive you home.

Dr. Prinsell is licensed and credentialed to perform the following procedures at several hospitals or in the office outpatient surgery suite: dental implants, nasal surgery such as septoplasty, turbinate reduction or cosmetic rhinoplasty, liposuction below the chin, chin augmentation and blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery). Orthognathic surgery for realignment of the jaws to correct a malocclusion or bite deformity, often in conjunction with orthodontic therapy or braces, is usually performed in a hospital and requires a one-night hospital stay.

Please call our office during normal business hours for more information regarding these procedures. A pre-surgical consultation with Dr. Prinsell includes a single panoramic X-ray, oral examination, review of medical history and a discussion of the diagnosis and treatment plan.