Services

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery requires four additional years of hospital-based surgical and anesthesia training after graduation from dental school. As an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Dr. Sorensen manages a wide variety of problems relating to the mouth, teeth & facial regions.

Dr. Sorensen practices a full scope of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery with expertise in:

• Wisdom teeth extractions
• Multiple tooth extractions i.e. infected teeth, or for pre-prosthetic surgery for dentures, or for orthodontic purposes
• Facial trauma: jaw fractures, facial fractures, facial lacerations, scar revisions
• Jaw surgery: reconstruction, facial cosmetic surgery, blepharoplasty, otoplasty, tattoo removal, mole removal
• Biopsy of lesions, tumors, pathology, etc.
• Anesthesia: IV general/sedation, local
• TMJ disorders: bruxism, teeth grinding headaches, etc.
• Oral pathology, oral medicine, oral/facial pain
• Sleep medicine/apnea: oral appliances for intolerance to CPAP
• Impacted canines

Dr. Sorensen treats the following conditions:

Wisdom Teeth

What Are Wisdom Teeth?

Third molars are commonly referred to as wisdom teeth. They are usually the last teeth to develop and are located in the back of your mouth, behind your second molars. Their development is usually completed between the middle teenage years and early twenties, a time traditionally associated with the onset of maturity and the attainment of wisdom.

Having your wisdom teeth removed helps protect your oral health leading to an improvement in your overall health and wellness. Impacted teeth are difficult to keep clean and consequently often get infected, thus removal is needed to prevent spread of infection. Wisdom teeth are often the cause of crowding and can cause a relapse of expensive orthodontic treament. Your orthodontist or dentist may refer you to our office to prevent this from happening.

Multiple Tooth Extractions

Both you and Dr. Sorensen may determine that you need a tooth removed for any number of reasons. Some teeth are removed because they are severely decayed; others may have advanced periodontal disease or are damaged beyond repair. Other teeth may need removal because they are poorly positioned in the mouth (such as impacted teeth), or in preparation for orthodontic treatment or after orthodontic treamtment to protect your orthodontic investment.

The removal of a single tooth can lead to problems related to your chewing ability, problems with your jaw joint, and shifting teeth, which can have a major impact on your dental health. To avoid these complications, in most cases, Dr. Sorensen will discuss alternatives to removal as well as replacement of the removed tooth.

The Tooth Removal Process

At the time of removal the doctor will need to numb your tooth, jaw bone and gums that surround the area with a local anesthetic. During the removal process you will feel pressure, but not pain. This is from the process of loosening the tooth in order to widen the socket for removal. You will feel the pressure without pain as the anesthetic has numbed the nerves stopping the transference of pain, yet the nerves that transmit pressure are not profoundly affected. If you do feel discomfort at any time during the removal please let us know right away, our staff is attentive and dedicated to your comfort.

Tooth removal procedures can be performed with local anesthesia, general anesthesia or IV sedation. Most often, extractions can be accomplished with local anesthesia but Dr. Sorensen will discuss these options with you to determine what is best for you.

Anesthesia

Several methods of anesthesia are available. The method of anesthesia that is chosen for or by a patient depends upon the nature of the surgical procedure, the patient’s level of apprehension and the patients medical history. For obvious safety reasons, only those in good health are candidates for general anesthesia/sedation. We follow the ASA guidelines to determine the use of general anesthesia.

Local Anesthetic

The patient remains totally conscious throughout the procedure. A local anesthetic (e.g. lidocaine) is administered in the area where the surgery is to be performed. Local anesthetic is used in conjunction with the other methods of anesthesia in all oral surgery procedures.

Used for: The vast majority of oral surgery procedures including removal of teeth and biopsies.

Office-Based Intravenous Anesthesia with Local Anesthetic

Medications are administered through an intravenous line (I.V.). The patient falls asleep and is unaware of the procedure being performed. A combination of medications are tailored to each patient’s specific needs. Supplemental oxygen is delivered through a nasal breathing apparatus and the patient’s vital signs are closely monitored.

Used for: General anesthesia is available for many types of oral surgery. A patient may choose general anesthesia for simple procedures depending on their level of anxiety. Most people having their wisdom teeth removed may choose general anesthesia. General anesthesia may be necessary if local anesthesia fails to anesthetize the surgical site which often occurs in the presence of infection.

About Office-Based Anesthesia

Dr. Sorensen is trained in all aspects of anesthesia administration which was a large part of his hospital-based Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) residency. During this time, Dr. Sorensen’s residency included one year of service in medical anesthesiology, during which he gained extensive knowledge in evaluating patients for anesthesia, delivering the anesthetic and monitoring post-anesthetic patients. Dr. Sorensen has 30 years of experience with office based anesthesia.

The ability to provide patients with safe, effective outpatient anesthesia has distinguished the specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery since its earliest days. Whether your procedure requires local or intravenous anesthesia, today’s technology makes it possible for Dr. Sorensen to perform complex surgery in the office with little or no discomfort.

Benefits of Office-based Anesthesia

The majority of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery procedures are performed in the office, with accompanying anesthesia administration. This treatment approach is convenient and cost-effective. The comfortable, personalized setting at Heber City Oral Surgery minimizes waiting and recovery time, as compared to having the same procedure performed in a hospital outpatient surgery center. In addition, in-office procedures and anesthesia delivery are usually less costly than similar care in a hospital or outpatient surgery center.

Hospital or Surgery Center-Based General Anesthesia

When a patient has a complex medical history, for safety reasons it may be necessary to be admitted to a hospital or surgery center where anesthesia is administered by an anesthesiologist.

Used for: Indicated for patients undergoing extensive procedures such as face and jaw reconstruction trauma, fractures, and TMJ surgery. Also indicated for patients with medical conditions such as heart disease or lung disease who require general anesthesia in a hospital setting.

Extensive Training and Experience in the Control of Pain and Anxiety

As a result of his extensive training, Dr. Sorensen is well-prepared to identify, diagnose and assess the source of pain and anxiety within the scope of their discipline, and to appropriately administer local anesthesia, all forms of sedation and general anesthesia. He is experienced in airway management, endotracheal intubation, establishing and maintaining intravenous lines, and managing complications and emergencies that may arise during the administration of anesthesia.

Dr. Sorensen and his staff will make sure you know what to expect before, during and after surgery. Prior to surgery, they will review with you the type of anesthetic to be used, as well as the way you’re likely to feel during and after the procedure. This is the time to discuss any concerns you may have about any facet of the procedure.

After surgery, you may be prescribed a medication to make you as comfortable as possible when you get home.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

What is an impacted tooth?

Although most people develop and grow 32 permanent adult teeth, many times their jaws are too small to accommodate the four wisdom teeth. When inadequate space prevents wisdom teeth from erupting they are called impacted wisdom teeth. This indicates their inability to erupt into the proper position for chewing and cleaning.

Types of Impactions

We will need to see you for a consultation to determine if you will benefit from wisdom tooth removal. A special x-ray of your mouth and jaws (panoramic x-ray) will be taken to determine if your wisdom teeth are impacted, if there is room for them to erupt, and how difficult it will be to have them removed.

• Soft Tissue Impaction: There is not enough room to allow the gum tissue to retract to allow adequate cleaning of the tooth. Soft tissue covers the tooth either completely or partially.
• Partial Bony Impaction: There is enough space to allow the wisdom tooth to erupt but it is still partially covered with bone and begins to crowd the next tooth. However, the tooth cannot function properly in the chewing process, and creates cleaning problems, among others. Partial bony impactions contribute to orthodontic crowding.
• Complete Bony Impaction: There is NO space for the tooth to erupt and is often crowded against the next tooth, which causes orthodontic problems. It remains completely covered in the jaw bone or if even partially visible requires complex surgical techniques for removal. The impacted wisdom tooth may also be in an unusual position and difficult to remove. This situation can also arise when the shape or size of the jaw bone and other facial structures make removal of this tooth significantly more complex.