Dattilo and Hall - Procedures

<body bgcolor="white" text="#003366" link="#000066" alink="red" vlink="#000066"> <h1>Dattilo and Hall Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Procedures</h1> <h2>Dental Implants, Sleep Apnea, Wisdom Teeth, Orthognathic Surgery, Oral Pathology, Bone Grafting, Facial Trauma, TMJ, Surgical Instructions, Links</h2> <h1>Dental implants</h1> <p>Dental implants are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth which look, feel, and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything and can smile with confidence, knowing that teeth appear natural and that facial contours will be preserved. In addition, implants can help preserve facial structure, preventing the bone deterioration which occurs when teeth are missing. <br> <br> Dental implants are changing the way people live! With them, people are rediscovering the comfort and confidence to eat, speak, laugh and enjoy life.<br> <br> Drs. Datillo and Hall have received extensive training in implantology. They have been successfully placing implants since 1984 and through continuing education, are abreast of the most current information on implant dentistry. <br> <br> Evaluation:<br> <br> If, like many others, you and your referring dentist feel that implant dentistry is the choice for you, we ask that you undergo a dental/radiographic examination and health history. During these consultation visits, your specific needs and considerations will be addressed by your doctor. Your questions and concerns are important to us and our team will work with you very closely to help make your procedure a success.<br> <br> We will also discuss fees and insurance at this time. There are many types of insurance plans, and coverage for implants is varied. We will be happy to assist you in obtaining any benefits to which you may be entitled.<br> <br> Procedure:<br> <br> Dental implants are metal anchors which act as tooth root substitutes. They are surgically placed into the jaw bone. Small posts are then attached to the implant which protrude through the gums. These posts provide stable anchors for artificial replacement teeth.<br> <br> <br> For most patients, the placement of dental implants involves two surgical procedures. First, implants are placed within your jawbone. For the first three to six months following surgery, the implants are beneath the surface of the gums gradually bonding with the jawbone. You should be able to wear temporary dentures and eat a soft diet during this time. At the same time, your restorative dentist designs the final bridgework or denture, which will ultimately improve both function and aesthetics.<br> <br> After the implant has bonded to the jawbone, the second phase begins. Your surgeon will uncover the implants and attach a small healing collar. After two weeks your general dentist will be able to start making your new teeth. An impression must be taken. Then posts or attachments can be connected to the implants. The teeth replacements are then made over the posts or attachments. The entire procedure usually takes six to eight months. Most patients do not experience any disruption in their daily life.<br> </p> <h1>Sleep Apnea and Snoring</h1> <p>If you snore, you know that the noise often disrupts the sleep of others. However, you may not know that snoring also effects you own sleep, and may even be a symptom of a potentially serious condition known as Sleep Apnea.<br> <br> When a person suffers from Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS), the throat becomes blocked during the night, stopping breathing for short periods of time. Often, your sleep partner will hear you alternate between loud snores and bouts of silence throughout the night. Besides snoring, other symptoms include; daytime sleepiness, falling asleep at inappropriate times, and problems with concentration or memory. Not only can OSAS leave you constantly tired and unfocused, it can also contribute to other health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke or sudden death.<br> <br> If you think you suffer from OSAS, monitoring your sleep is the only sure way to tell. A sleep study records how your heart, lungs and other parts of your body function during sleep. Testing is usually done in a sleep laboratory (not by the Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon) and is necessary to determine the severity of your condition and the most appropriate means of treatment.<br> <br> For the thousands of sufferers in the United States alone, snoring and sleep apnea rarely go away on their own, but fortunately they can be treated by a number of means. Certain lifestlye changes, as well as the use of air pressure and oral devices during sleep may lessen snoring and airway obstruction.<br> <br> However, many times non-surgical treatments (specifically CPAP) are not tolerated or ineffective at treating OSAS and/or snoring, so any related breathing problems. If you opt for surgical correction of sleep apnea, pre and post-operative sleep studies are necessary to determine whether surgery was successful.<br> <br> Our practice has a deep interest in the research and surgical treatment of OSAS. We have successfully operated on many patients in order to reduce or eradicate their sleep-related breathing problems.<br> <br> The following methods are surgical treatments to correct OSAS, for further explanation of the procedures, please consult Dr. Dattilo.<br> </p> <h2>Surgical Procedures for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea</h2> <p>Phase I <br> <br> Phase I Surgery is an attempt to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea in less severe cases. Phase I Surgeries advance the tongue muscle off the back of the throat by advancing the front of the jaw.<br> <br> Phase II <br> <br> Phase II Surgery is a more advanced surgical procedure used to treat extreme cases of Sleep Apnea, as well as cases in which Phase I Surgeries have failed. <br> <br> <br> Phase II Surgery involves the advancement of both the upper maxilla and the lower mandible. All Phase II Surgeries are done within the mouth, requiring a three week period of upper and lower jaw fixation and a soft/liquid diet. Although the results of Phase II are very sucessful (greater than 90%), some post operative complications may ocur, i.e. numbness or malalignment of teeth.<br> </p> <h2>Palate Surgery</h2> <p>Palate Surgery helps correct snoring and sleep apnea by removing the area of obstruction between the palate and the base of the tongue. Palate surgeries generally have higher sucess rates for the control of snoring than for the treatment of sleep apnea.<br> <br> Risks and Complcations:<br> <br> * Foods/Liquids flowing into nasal cavity during swallowing <br> * Failure to treat complete problem of sleep apnea <br> </p> <p> </p> <p>To fully view this site, please use a browser capable of displaying frames. Thank you for visiting the website of doctors David Dattilo and Wm. James Hall.</p> <p><br> </p> </body>