Coastal Jaw Offices with Three Convenient Locations:

8845 Hawbuck St Trinity, FL 34655

727-375-0469

2711 Tampa Rd Palm Harbor, FL 34684

727-786-1631

4372 Commercial Way Spring Hill, FL 34606

352-596-6804

Drs. Michael A. Pikos |G. Thomas Peak III |José F. Lázaro |David M. Owsley | Michael S. Willis

Our mission at Coastal Jaw Surgery is to provide the best quality surgical care for our patient family in a safe, efficient, and compassionate manner. Through teamwork and utilizing the most modern tech-niques available, our desire is to improve our patient's quality of life and promote the most important premise - WE CARE.

The Countdown Begins...

Dr. Pikos founded Coastal Jaw Surgery

in July 1983 and is the senior member

of a five surgeon practice. He has

extensive experience in implant

surgery, having placed more than

15,000 implants and having performed

thousands of hard and soft tissue

grafting procedures. He emphasized

interactive CT technology along with

foundational principles of prosthetics

and biomechanics that dictate the

ultimate success of comprehensive

implant rehabilitation. Since 1990, he

devoted his practice exclusively to

implant dentistry. By David M. Owsley, DMD

Referring your patients to have their wisdom teeth removed can give

them freedom from pain and irritation, but it takes time to recover

from the surgery. For this reason, it is a good idea to give careful

consideration to the scheduling of their wisdom teeth

removal surgery.

As with any dental procedure, it is a good idea to get comprehensive

professional advice about the removal of your patient’s wisdom

teeth. Coastal Jaw Surgery can advise your patients about the

recovery period, as well as what to expect before, during and after the

procedure. In addition to this professional advice, here are some

general considerations you may want to take into account when

scheduling wisdom teeth removal with Coastal Jaw Surgery. continued on back

Wisdom Teeth– The Good,

The Bad and The Ugly

30 YEARS

Case of the Month:

Words of Wisdom Teeth

continued from front

When to Refer

Wisdom teeth make their

appearance in the early teen

years and we recommend

an early evaluation and

regular check-ups to

monitor the wisdom teeth.

Ideally patients would be seen by Coastal Jaw Surgery at the stage where root

formation of the third molars is 1/2 to 2/3 complete (see Image A) as opposed to

continued root development (Image B). Wisdom teeth can be removed earlier or later depending on

the patient (Image C). Extraction of wisdom teeth can be completed secondary to pain, periodontal

disease or part of orthodontic treatment.

Why to Refer

Third molars can negatively impact adjacent second molars due to root

resorption and disruption of the PDL. Risk of caries also increases with age

with erupted and impacted wisdom teeth. If left untreated, third molars can

develop pathology and damage adjacent teeth.

.

Image A

Image B-2

Continued root develop-

ment of mandibular 3rd

molars approaching the

inferior border of the

mandible.

Image B-1

Continued root develop-

ment of mandibular 3rd

molars approaching the

IAN.

Problems Third Molars Cause Pain, pericoronitis (Image D),

dental caries, periodontal disease,

tooth resorption, pathology, and

infection.

Image C

The impacted 3rd molar

contributing to bone loss

on an adjacent tooth.

Image D

Considering Dental Implants for

Your Patients?

Important Facts to Help Your Patients Make a Decision

Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own

teeth. And because they are designed to fuse with bone, they become permanent.

Improved speech. With poor-fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causing you to mumble or slur your words. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that teeth might slip.

Improved comfort. Because they become part of you, implants elimi-nate the discomfort or removable dentures.

Easier eating. Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental im-plants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.

Improved self-esteem. Dental implants can give you back your smile and help you feel better about yourself.

Improved oral health. Dental implants don’t require reducing other teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.

Convenience. Removable dentures are just that; removable. Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing den-tures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep them in place.

For bone maintenance, the health of adjacent teeth, the longevity of the

restoration and patient comfort, implant therapy is the treatment of choice.

Implants can restore chewing function to the equivalent of someone with

natural teeth. If you have questions or want to know if your patient is a good

candidate for implant tooth replacement therapy, please call our office.

Continued

Evaluating Wisdom Teeth: 1. Third molars usually stay im-

pacted because of lack of hard

tissue space.

2. It is difficult to judge in

growing children and adults

whether third molars will have

sufficient room to erupt. If par-

tially erupted, wisdom teeth can

either fully erupt or remain im-

pacted.

3. It should be noted that third

molars can change positions

throughout a person’s lifetime.

4. Impacted third molars con-

tribute to root resorption, dis-

ruption of the periodontal liga-

ment and increased pocket

depth in second molars.

5. Visible third molars increase

periodontal disease on both the

third molars and surrounding

dentition with increasing age.

As a patient ages, they have in-

creases in pocket depth, an in-

creased risk of caries, and in-

creased difficulty with extrac-

tions.

Goals for Wisdom Tooth

Removal: Preventing pathology.

Optimization of occlusion.

Maintain functional teeth

Enhance orthodontic results.

Eliminate hard and/or soft

tissue pathology.

Prevent problems before

they arise.

WE WELCOME

YOUR FAMILY AND

FRIENDS TOO!

Referrals and word-of-mouth

recommendations are our number one

source of new patients. In fact, one of the

best compliments we can receive from

our colleagues is the referral of one of

your friends, patients or family

members. When you give us a good

reference, we will ensure that the person

you refer receives special attention and

the finest service possible.

Our extensive surgical training and

experience allows us to understand and

provide a wide range of smile solutions.

We believe in creating the smile our

patients are looking for using

progressive surgical techniques and

technology.

Thank you for your confidence in our

services, and for sending your friends,

family and patients our way!

Coastal Jaw Surgery has collaborated in nu-

merous studies and trials for the advancements of

oral and maxillofacial surgery. We also implement

new technologies as they become standard-of-

care. Through continuing education and research

and development, we continue to be on the fore-

front of oral and maxillofacial surgical care.

Our founder, Dr. Michael A. Pikos, is an inter-

nationally recognized leader and educator in dental

implant surgery who lectures, conducts research

and teaches dental implant reconstruction proce-

dures to doctors from all over the world.

With over 100 years of experience our sur-

geons are Diplomates* of the American Board of

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and have performed

thousands of implant procedures, and they have

achieved excellent clinical results for almost three

decades.

*Dr. David M. Owsley is Board Eligible

Expect Comfort.

Expect Care.