Pre-Prosthetic Surgery in NYC

Upper West Side Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery performs pre-prosthetic surgery in NYC. Call 212-466-6984 to schedule an appointment.

Before patients can receive dentures, they often need preparatory surgery. Dentures rest on the gums and jaw bone. In some circumstances, the oral surgeon must reshape hard and soft tissue to ensure a proper fit. Placing dental implants to secure dentures is also considered pre-prosthetic surgery.

Dentists should consider other options before surgery, such as making a better-fitting prosthetic or altering an existing set of dentures.

Here are the benefits of pre-prosthetic surgery:

Restoring Jaw Function

When a patient gets dentures, one of the significant benefits is that they can chew, talk, and swallow normally. Pre-prosthetic surgery helps patients toward this end.

Reshaping the Jaw

Pre-prosthetic surgery often includes reshaping the jaw to accommodate dentures better. Certain jaw features, like bony spikes on the jaw, may interfere with denture placement. Today, most oral surgeons are likely to perform procedures like bone grafts to increase jawbone strength rather than removing bone.

Making Dentures Fit Better

Pre-prosthetic surgery increases patient comfort levels with their dentures, raising their quality of life and enabling them to go about their normal activities.

Improving Facial Appearance

Patients with compromised teeth and jaws often develop a "sunken" look in the mouth and jaw areas. Pre-prosthetic surgery can help to increase bone mass in the jaws, allowing dentures to help with facial appearance.

Our practice serves patients with the same care we would give our families. Our state-of-the-art offices provide optimal care for oral and maxillofacial conditions, including tooth extractions, bone grafts, and oral pathology.

Your prosthodontist or dentist can determine whether you are a good candidate for this surgery. Whether you need this surgery before getting dentures depends on the contours of your jaw bone, gums, and mouth structure.

Patients likely to need pre-prosthetic surgery have experienced a recession in the jaw bone due to tooth loss. They may also have too much gum tissue interfering with denture placement.

Patients with anomalies in their mouths or jaws may also need surgery before receiving dentures.

Candidates for pre-prosthetic surgery must be in overall good health. Patients with significant health issues or slow healing may not be able to undergo this procedure.

Ideally, oral surgeons should perform these procedures simultaneously with tooth extraction. They can also be done at least six weeks before getting impressions and making the dentures. The mouth requires about six weeks to heal after surgery, and the bone takes 12 weeks to heal.

Yes, it will improve the fit and function of your dentures. Removing interfering bone growth from the roof of the mouth and jaw helps to accommodate a perfect fit.

Yes, you may need to have some teeth extracted, even if you get a partial denture. The oral surgeon will walk you through their plans for extracting teeth.

Bone grafting is often part of the pre-prosthetic surgery process. It becomes necessary when a patient has lost bone mass due to tooth loss or periodontal disease.

The bone graft may come from your body, a donor bank, or animal tissue. Some oral surgeons use synthetic materials. The oral surgeon first makes a tiny incision in the gum to create the bone graft. They insert bone particles in the gum and cover the area with a membrane. 

The body uses the graft as a scaffold to grow natural bone, strengthening the area.

Patients report that it doesn't cause discomfort more than a standard tooth extraction. Patients may experience mild swelling and some discomfort after the procedure. During the procedure, the oral surgeon will completely numb your mouth, and you have several options for sedation if you are anxious.

Patients report that it doesn't cause discomfort more than a standard tooth extraction. Patients may experience mild swelling and some discomfort after the procedure. During the procedure, the oral surgeon will completely numb your mouth, and you have several options for sedation if you are anxious.

Pre-prosthetic surgery can help to ensure that your new dentures fit well and restore your ability to chew, talk, and smile. If you plan to get dentures, talk to your dentist or prosthodontist to find out whether you may need surgery before receiving the prostheses.

Call 212-466-6984 or visit UWSOralSurgery.com to make an appointment to discuss pre-prosthetic procedures with our oral surgeons.