Piney Point Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
News

TMJ Treatment with Drs. Weil and Koo

January 15, 2014

shutterstock_62656942If you suffer from earaches or find it difficult to open your mouth all the way, you may be suffering from TMJ pain. TMJ, temporomandibular joint, pain is something that is very common, but a lot of people do not know what they can do to alleviate their pain.

The temporomandibular joint is located where the lower jaw meets the skull, and it allows your mouth to open and close with ease. A lot of factors can affect the joint, like stress, high emotions, grinding teeth, and a misaligned bite. The pain associated with TMJ can be sharp and piercing, leaving you orally crippled. Some ways your dentist may help with your TMJ pain is making a mouth guard for you. This mouth guard prevents your jaw from clenching and your teeth from grinding. A custom mouth guard will be made just for you, as everyone’s mouth is different.
(more…)

Right Imaging for Best Surgical Results!

December 13, 2013

Filed under: Oral Surgery — Dr. Steve Koo @ 9:08 pm

In order to achieve predictable results in surgery, it is important that the surgeon utilizes appropriate diagnostic tools and methods specific to the planned procedure. The surgeons at Piney Point Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery are familiar with all the protocols for appropriate radiographic imaging and have all the latest radiographic technology.

For tooth surgeries (such as wisdom teeth removal and dental implant placement), the essential diagnostic tool is the panoramic X-ray (Panorex). Regular dental X-rays (periapical or bitewing) are inadequate for wisdom teeth because they do not provide the surgeon with a complete picture. Standard dental X-rays have a limited field of view and, therefore, rarely show the wisdom teeth in their entirety. A panoramic X-ray, on the other hand, provides a complete view of the jaw and teeth. The panorex shows the teeth and roots and their stages of development. It also shows their relationship to adjacent teeth, sinuses, and nerve canals. The panorex enables surgeons to accurately diagnose and plan surgeres of the teeth and jaw.
(more…)

Botox and Juvederm Offered at Piney Point

December 9, 2013

shutterstock_141183598

At Piney Point, we understand that your teeth are not necessarily the only thing you are concerned about on your face. We appreciate the fact that there is a lot of preparation that is involved when it comes to you looking the way you want to, which is why we offer Botox and Juvederm to complete your look! We want you to be able to leave our office having a completely polished look, and Dr. Weil and Dr. Koo are able to make that happen.
(more…)

Bone Grafting in Houston

October 25, 2013

Filed under: Other Topics — Dr. Steve Koo @ 9:24 pm

THE RULES OF BONE GRAFTING

The simple rule of bone grafting is to graft a site whenever a patient considers placing a dental implant in that site. Bone grafting into an extraction site means placement of particulate bone into the extraction site that allows for normal ridge development for the placement of a dental implant. When bone grafting is not done, this can often mean a non-healing well site which result in a boney defect. This environment can deter placement of an implant in the future unless additional advanced bone grafting procedure is done to correct the defect. The surgeons at Piney Point Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery are experts at both ridge augmentation as well as advanced bone grafting techniques. However, each case for patients in Houston, Bellaire, Briargrove, Tanglewood,  Lamar Terrace, Bunkerhill Village, West University,  Meyerland, Stafford, Katy, Hunter Creek Village, and Sugarland are different, except some aspects of healing that almost guarantee problems in dental implant placement can occur in certain conditions listed below:
(more…)

BOTOX Injections in Houston

September 30, 2013

BOTOXIf you’re unhappy with the appearance of wrinkles on your forehead, you may have considered BOTOX treatments. You may not have realized that your dentist or oral surgeon can be trained in performing these injections. Patients in Houston, Bellaire, Briargrove, Bunker Hill Village, Galleria, Hunters Creek Village, Katy, Lamar Terrace, Meyerland, and Stafford have a wide variety of options when it comes to this popular cosmetic treatment.

BOTOX is a purified protein from the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum that can be used to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles on your forehead. Once injected, BOTOX helps to stop muscle contractions in your forehead, which reduces the appearance of wrinkles. It is important to pick a skilled practitioner because if not administered skillfully the injection can sometimes result in a forehead that appears to be frozen and will not move at all.
(more…)

How Long Do We Have to Wait to Put a Dental Implant in After Taking Out the Tooth

September 11, 2013

Filed under: Dental Implants — Dr. Steve Koo @ 4:30 pm

This is a question that the surgeons at Piney Point Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, get often from our patients that live near Houston, Bellaire, Briargrove, Bunkerhill Village, Galleria, Hunters Creek Village, Lamar Terrace, Meyerland, Stafford and Sugarland. Obviously, many patients are anxious about the missing tooth and want to get a tooth replacement for the lost tooth as soon as possible. The answer to this question depends on a multiple of factors and can be broken down into 3 categories:
(more…)

Facial Trauma Treatment in the Houston Area

August 29, 2013

facial trauma treatmentIt is not uncommon to suffer injuries to the face, jaws or teeth, especially from a motor vehicle accident, violent incident, or a recreational accident. It is important to address these issues to restore the health of your smile. Facial trauma treatments are important to restore proper function and form to your jaws and teeth.

For patients in Houston, Bellaire, Briargrove, Bunker Hill Village, Galleria, Hunters Creek Village, Katy, Lamar Terrace, Meyerland, and Stafford, there are several options when it comes to treatment. An oral and maxillofacial surgeon will provide quality, specialized care to help repair the damage caused by trauma.
(more…)

Implants and Orthodontics: Which come first?

Filed under: Dental Implants — Dr. Steve Koo @ 1:05 pm

blog-implants01The answer is an easier one : (more…)

Dental Implant Insurance

August 15, 2013

Filed under: Dental Implants — Dr. Steve Koo @ 1:55 pm

INSURANCE FOR DENTAL IMPLANTS

The verdict is out on whether your dental insurance plans do cover implants. Our office finds that some insurances do cover dental implants in some cases. In the most highly covered plans, we find these to be plans in which our office has a negotiated agreement with. Some insurances cover only a portion of the implants costs. However, most insurance however do not cover dental implants because they consider the dental implants to be an elective procedure. In addition, many insurances also allow an annual limit for services rendered. Other the patient will have used up some of their benefits with routine services like cleaning, restorations, and x-rays. While dental implants are usually not covered, the crowns may be considered as basic services under most dental insurance plans providing the annual limit has not been reached
(more…)

The Importance of Replacing Missing Teeth

July 17, 2013

missing teethMissing teeth can impact a smile in a variety of ways, making it important to replace them right away. If you live in Houston, Bellaire, Briargrove, Bunker Hill Village, Galleria, Hunters Creek Village, Katy, Lamar Terrace, Meyerland, or Stafford, your dentist can help restore your smile, making it complete once again.
(more…)

« Newer PostsOlder Posts »