Dr. John A. Bamonte, a native of the Pittsburgh area, is a graduate of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. He then attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and finished in the top 10 of his class in 1984 with the degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine.
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a specialist whose knowledge and skills are built on a foundation of four years of dental education plus an additional four or more years of training in an accredited, hospital-based oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program.
Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are the last teeth to erupt in your mouth. This generally occurs between the ages of 17 and 25, a time of life that has been called the “Age of Wisdom”.
Impacted and partially impacted wisdom teeth can lead to difficulty with oral hygiene, food impaction, discomfort, periodontal disease, and infection. They may also crowd or damage adjacent teeth or their roots.
No one can predict when third molar complications will occur, but when they do, the circumstances can be much more painful and the teeth more difficult to treat. It is estimated that about 85% of third molars will eventually need to be removed.
It isn’t wise to wait until your wisdom teeth start to bother you. In general, earlier removal of wisdom teeth results in a less complicated healing process. The AAOMS/OMSF study strongly recommends that wisdom teeth be removed by the time the patient is a young adult in order to prevent future problems and to ensure optimal healing.
Think you might need your wisdom teeth removed? Give us a call or submit a form on our website!
Did you know that dental implants are frequently the best treatment option for replacing missing teeth? Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that your oral and maxillofacial surgeon surgically places in the jawbone.
Many patients who have selected dental implants describe a quality of life that is much more natural and secure than the lifestyle endured by those with fixed bridges or removable dentures. Dentures often make a person feel and look older than they are, cause embarrassment in social situations when they slip and click and restrict the everyday pleasure of eating comfortably.
