Smiling Faces 2018

www.ChsDentists.com | www.MountPleasantPhysicians.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com smiling faces D r. Matt Dillard of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of the Lowcountry is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who specializes in matters related to the jaw, mouth, teeth and facial regions. With offices in Mount Pleasant, Charleston and Walterboro, he is one busy man. However, we were able to catch up with Dr. Dillard to answer a few questions about wisdom teeth, implants and maxillofacial trauma. I heard a person’s oral health can affect other areas of the body. Is that true? Yes, a large body of evidence has been building which shows a strong link between oral health and general body health. In particular, there are correlations between the severity of periodontal disease (aka gum disease) and significant health problems like cardiac disease and diabetes. Dental infections can also sometimes manifest themselves systematically to other areas of the body. This is one reason why patients are often required to obtain clearance from a dentist prior to a heart valve replacement or joint replacement, like hip or knee. These days, the media is often reporting on the opioid crisis that is pervasive throughout the country. When teenagers and young adults have their wisdom teeth out, it is often the first time they are exposed to pain medicine containing opioids. What can be done to minimize the risks for these patients? It wasn’t that long ago that prescribers wrote prescriptions for much larger quantities of opioids and didn’t think much of it. I think the first time I realized a potential for addiction was in residency when a few residents in the hospital became addicted and had to receive treatment. Unfortunately, most of those individuals did not go on to finish their medical residencies. Since I started practicing almost 20 years ago, I have gradually reduced the amount of opioids I prescribe and have increased the use of other adjuncts to help control postoperative pain. For example, there are a multitude of NSAIDS available, both prescription and over-the-counter, that can be used. There are many good studies showing NSAIDS provide as much or more pain relief than opioids. There are also some medications that can be administered at our office that can reduce the pain or provide extended anesthesia in the area. More conservative surgical techniques also help with reducing the overall pain and swelling. These days I prescribe between five and 10 opioid-containing pills after removal of four wisdom teeth, which is enough for two to three days. I find that many of my patients often do not even finish this small amount. Most of our other procedures require even less pain medicine. We want our patients to be comfortable while they recover but also want to avoid creating future problems. I have seen a lot of advertisements for “teeth in a day” with dental implants. Do you offer that service? The concept of “teeth in a day” is a special treatment used to replace all the teeth of a patient who is missing all of his or her teeth or needs his or her remaining teeth removed. This is a special technique I offer where it can be done in conjunction with your dentist. Single, missing teeth is a very different situation. Implants can often be placed in the site where a tooth was removed during the same procedure, but only in certain situations can a temporary crown also be placed on the implant that same day. In general, crowns are not placed on implants immediately because excessive forces from chewing or biting could move the implant, which would cause it to fail. After adequate time for the bone to heal around a bone, this no longer a concern, and a permanent crown can be made. BY EILEEN CASEY DR. MATT DILLARD Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of the Lowcountry 767 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. • Mount Pleasant • 843-881-3111 2270 Ashley Crossing Drive, Suite 175 • Charleston • 843-410-5766 118 S. Walter St. • Walterboro • 843-410-5766 www.lowcountryoralsurgery.com Photo courtesy of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of the Lowcountry.