Pediatric Oral Surgery

We decided to give pediatric oral surgery it’s own page on our site, as our littlest patients have special considerations, and deserve special mention.

What does pediatric oral surgery include? Well, the procedures that pediatric patients need are usually simpler than those of our adult patients. The most common procedures are baby teeth extractions, canine exposures and procedures for other impacted teeth, and removal of extra teeth. Some less common procedures include removal of developmental cysts and tumors of the jaw, facial trauma repair, and cleft repair procedures. 

Now, all oral surgeons are trained to perform these procedures listed above. The surgeries are fairly simple. However, we at Elite Oral and Facial Surgery recognize that kids are not just small versions of adults. Kids, in general, have an additional element of anxiety and fear layered into their psyche associated with doctor visits. This is usually due to 1. a lack of understanding of what they need and why, and 2. the perception of a lack of control over their situation. There may be additional anxiety present that is due to either an underlying anxiety disorder, or just anxiety that has been planted there by an anxious parent, kind of projecting their own feelings. 

At Elite Oral and Facial Surgery, we recognize that the best way to help kids feel comfortable and safe is to explain things to them in a way that they can understand. This is extremely important, and Dr. Rosenfeld takes the time to make sure your child understands what they need and why, and and how it is done, in age-appropriate terminology. 

The second component to this approach is that we want your child to know that they are an important part of the conversation and that they are welcome to ask questions. Dr. Rosenfeld reviews the diagnosis, the recommended treatment, and then discusses the options for the anesthesia, which is arguably the more important topic to be discussed. The surgery itself is usually fairly simple; it is how we make sure your child is comfortable during the procedure that requires further discussion. 

Local anesthesia is a given- the area to have surgery will always be numbed so that your child will not feel any pain during the surgery. But to ease the anxiety, we offer laughing gas (nitrous oxide) and IV sedation (conscious sedation/ twilight), which some patients may require to get through the procedure. We will discuss this at length at the time of your consultation appointment. Dr. Rosenfeld will thoroughly explain what is involved with each, and what the experience will be like with each, so you and your child can make the decision that’s right. 

Call our office today if you are in need of a pediatric oral surgeon and would like to come in with your child for a consultation.