Pre-Prosthetic Surgery Melbourne
Pre-prosthetic surgery is the term used to describe the medical treatments performed before a prosthetic device is applied. Dr Jaclyn Wong offers pre-prosthetic surgery from her clinic in Glen Iris to help improve the fit and function of a prosthetic device such as a denture.
Who Requires Pre-prosthetic Surgery in Dentistry?
Pre-prosthetic surgery is required for some patients who are fitted with a prosthetic device such as a denture. The type of pre-prosthetic surgery required will depend on the patient’s individual needs.
Dr Wong will first understand your concerns, requirements and assess the underlying reason for your anomalies to determine the best surgical approach for you. Bone reshaping, ridge improvement, or tissue reduction may be considered for your treatment.
What Are the Types of Pre-Prosthetic Surgery?
During your consultation, Dr Jaclyn Wong will be able to assess the root cause of the dental concerns and determine the surgery most suitable for you. The most common pre-prosthetic treatments may include:
Alveoloplasty is a pre-prosthetic surgery for patients suffering from an uneven alveolar ridge, resulting in a loose-fitting denture. Common symptoms also include suffering from regular sore spots due to the uneven pressure from your prosthetics on your mouth. An uneven alveolar ridge is often the result of a tooth removal leaving uneven or ragged bone surrounding the extraction site.
The procedure involves Dr Jaclyn Wong carefully reshaping the affected area by surgically trimming away excess tissue. It can also be performed in conjunction with a tooth extraction.
Patients can present with an insufficient amount of bone tissue or an excess amount. This can be due to a number of factors and can limit replacement options unless augmentation procedures are performed, eg. in the case of insufficient bone. After removal of a tooth, your alveolar ridge/jaw bone ridge can shrink, impacting the fit of your prosthetic denture, crown or bridge and causing insufficient foundation for an implant.
The procedure for augmentation or rebuilding of the alveolar ridge includes Dr Wong placing a bone graft to fill and build up the shrunken areas of your alveolar ridge. Typically, your own bone in addition to a synthetic bone will be used.
Dr Wong is one of the few dentists that routinely perform this in conjunction with stem cell surgery to improve the predictability and stability of the graft.
It’s not uncommon that we see an abnormal bone development in the mouth and more often than not, it should not pose concern or any risk. While small bone abnormalities do not need to be removed, moderate to larger irregularities can greatly affect the fit of your prosthetic device. Your dentist will also remove any growth on your hard palate in the instance they interfere with an upper denture or cause speech impediments.
Patients with excess or uneven soft tissue often have issues with their denture fitting comfortably due to the tissue being an unstable and flabby platform to retain a denture. Dr Wong will surgically remove the excess tissue to create a firm and stable platform for your denture.
To ensure your prosthetic device fits your mouth comfortably, Dr Wong will evaluate the presence of any impacted or partially erupted teeth that may require extraction to ensure they do not interfere with your device fitting properly.
During this procedure, Dr Wong will remove the impacted tooth and any overlying bone or gum tissue.
Vestibuloplasty is a less common procedure performed, however, it may be recommended to ensure you have a sufficient height of alveolar ridge to fit the flange of a denture which is an important part of helping retain a denture. During this procedure, Dr Jaclyn Wong will lower and reposition the muscles attached to the jaw and deepen the sulcus (where the gum reflects from the jaw bone to the inner lip).
Helpful Resources
Pre-Prosthetic Surgery Melbourne
If you would like more information on pre-prosthetic surgery or wish to request an appointment with Dr Jaclyn Wong, please contact us today.
