Desert Oral Surgery

Dental implants are changing the way people live. They are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth which look, feel and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything, knowing that teeth appear natural and that facial contours will be preserved they can smile with confidence.

Over a period of time, the jawbone associated with missing teeth atrophies or is reabsorbed. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone suitable for placement of dental implants. In these situations, most patients are not candidates for placement of dental implants.

Today, we have the ability to grow bone where needed. This not only gives us the opportunity to place implants of proper length and width, it also gives us a chance to restore functionality and esthetic appearance.

The inside of the mouth is normally lined with a special type of skin (mucosa) that is smooth and coral pink in color. Any alteration in this appearance could be a warning sign for a pathological process. The most serious of these is oral cancer. The following can be signs at the beginning of a pathologic process or cancerous growth:

Reddish patches (erythroplasia) or whitish patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth
A sore that fails to heal and bleeds easily
A lump or thickening on the skin lining the inside of the mouth
Chronic sore throat or hoarseness
Difficulty in chewing or swallowing
These changes can be detected on the lips, cheeks, palate, and gum tissue around the teeth, tongue, face and/or neck. Pain does not always occur with pathology, and curiously, is not often associated with oral cancer. However, any patient with facial and/or oral pain without an obvious cause or reason may also be at risk for oral cancer.

We would recommend performing an oral cancer self-examination monthly and remember that your mouth is one of your body’s most important warning systems. Do not ignore suspicious lumps or sores.

Orthognathic surgery is needed when jaws don’t meet correctly and/or teeth don’t seem to fit with jaws. Teeth are straightened with orthodontics and corrective jaw surgery repositions misaligned jaws. This not only improves facial appearance, but also ensures that teeth meet correctly and function properly. Questions about orthognathic jaw surgery in Palm Springs? Call our office for a consultation.

An impacted tooth simply means that it is “stuck” and can not erupt into function. Patients frequently develop problems with impacted third molar (wisdom) teeth. These teeth get “stuck” in the back of the jaw and can develop painful infections among a host of other problems. Since there is rarely a functional need for wisdom teeth, they are usually extracted if they develop problems. The maxillary cuspid (upper eye tooth) is the second most common tooth to become impacted. The cuspid tooth is a critical tooth in the dental arch and plays an important role in your “bite”. The cuspid teeth are very strong biting teeth which have the longest roots of any human teeth. They are designed to be the first teeth that touch when your jaws close together so they guide the rest of the teeth into the proper bite.

The dental specialist performs the proper treatment of facial injuries. These professionals must be well versed in emergency care, acute treatment and long term reconstruction and rehabilitation – not just for physical reasons but emotional as well. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are trained, skilled and uniquely qualified to manage and treat Facial Trauma. Injuries to the face, by their very nature, impart a high degree of emotional, as well as physical trauma to patients. The science and art of treating these injuries requires special training involving a “hands on” experience and an understanding of how the treatment provided will influence the patient’s long term function and appearance.

Drs Bass and Garcia meet and exceed these modern standards. They are trained, skilled and uniquely qualified to manage and treat facial trauma.

TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders are a family of problems related to your complex jaw joint. If you have had symptoms like pain or a “clicking” sound, you’ll be glad to know that these problems are more easily diagnosed and treated than they were in the past. These symptoms occur when the joints of the jaw and the chewing muscles (muscles of mastication) do not work together correctly. TMJ stands for Temporomandibular Joint, which is the name for each joint (right and left) that connects your jaw to your skull. Since some types of TMJ problems can lead to more serious conditions, early detection and treatment are important.
No one treatment can resolve TMJ disorders completely and treatment takes time to become effective. Dr. Bass can help you have a healthier and more comfortable jaw.

Dr. Jeffrey Garcia comes to the Coachella Valley having most recently resided in Fresno, CA. It was in Fresno that Dr. Garcia trained at the exceptionally busy Community Regional Medical Center, the only level 1 trauma center of Central California. His experience comes in the traditional scope of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery including simple and guided implantology, bone science, dentoalveolar surgery, hospital and outpatient anesthesia, orthognathic surgery, complex facial trauma, and TMJ surgery as well as the broader scope of oral cancer, head and neck, microvascular, and free flap surgery.

Dr. Garcia was born in Long Beach, CA and grew up in the small town of Ukiah in Northern California. He attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as an undergraduate, majoring in Biomedical Engineering. After a year at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus focusing on polymer chemistry in dental materials research, Dr. Garcia headed to UCLA for dental school. This was followed by completion of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery residency at UCSF-Fresno. After residency, Dr. Garcia spent time in private practice in both the Central and Northern California before finding his way to Desert Oral Surgery for full-time and full-scope practice.

He is a member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the Southern California Orofacial Academy, the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association and the Coachella Valley and Fresno Madera Dental Societies.