Frequently Asked Questions

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a specialized branch of dentistry and surgery that focuses on diagnosing and treating conditions, injuries, and defects affecting the mouth, teeth, jaws, face, and neck. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons complete four years of dental school followed by a minimum of four additional years of hospital-based surgical and anesthesia residency training — making them among the most extensively trained specialists in the healthcare system.

At Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group, our oral surgeons provide a full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgical services to patients throughout Memphis, Tennessee and the surrounding communities of Germantown, Collierville, Cordova, and beyond. Our most commonly performed procedures include wisdom teeth removal and dental implant placement, but our surgical expertise extends well beyond those two services. We accept referrals and consultations for simple extractions, second opinions, and more complicated surgical cases. We also treat children, pregnant women, and medically compromised patients — a reflection of the depth of our hospital-based training and our commitment to serving the entire Memphis community with the highest level of specialized surgical care available.

Whether you’ve been referred by your general dentist, are experiencing jaw pain or oral discomfort, or are exploring options for replacing missing teeth, Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group is equipped to evaluate your situation thoroughly and provide the expert care you need. Call us at 901-398-0793 to schedule your consultation at our East Memphis or Methodist South Hospital location.

Wisdom teeth — also called third molars — don’t always announce their problems loudly, especially in the early stages. Some patients find out their wisdom teeth need attention through a routine dental X-ray before any pain or discomfort has developed. Others experience clear warning signs that something isn’t right. Either way, early evaluation by an oral surgeon near you is always the best course of action.

Common signs that your wisdom teeth may need to be removed include persistent pain or pressure at the back of the jaw, especially when chewing or biting down. Swelling, redness, or tenderness in the gum tissue behind your last visible molar is another frequent early indicator. A lingering bad taste at the back of your mouth that doesn’t resolve with brushing, difficulty opening your jaw fully or comfortably, recurring headaches or earaches without an obvious cause, and visible signs of partial eruption where only a portion of the tooth has broken through the gum can all point to wisdom tooth problems.

When wisdom teeth don’t have adequate space to erupt properly, they become impacted — meaning they’re trapped beneath the gum and bone, growing at an angle, or pressing directly against neighboring teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth that go untreated can lead to serious complications including gum disease, tooth decay in adjacent molars, chronic infection, cysts that can destroy surrounding bone and tissue, and shifting of teeth that disrupts your overall bite alignment.

At Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group, we serve patients from Memphis, Germantown, Collierville, Cordova, and the greater Shelby County area who are concerned about their wisdom teeth. Our oral surgeons will evaluate your X-rays and examine your mouth thoroughly to give you a clear, honest recommendation on whether and when removal is necessary. The earlier wisdom teeth are addressed, the simpler the removal and the faster the recovery — so don’t wait until the pain becomes unbearable. Call our office at 901-398-0793 today.

Wisdom teeth removal at Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group is a carefully managed surgical procedure performed by experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeons in a safe, comfortable office setting. From the moment you arrive, our team’s priority is ensuring you feel relaxed, informed, and well cared for before anything else begins.

Before the procedure, our team will review your dental and medical history, confirm your treatment plan, and address any last-minute questions you may have. Our oral surgeons administer anesthesia for every surgical procedure — typically a combination of IV sedation and local anesthesia — ensuring that you are completely comfortable and that the surgical area is fully numb throughout. Most patients remember very little of the actual procedure, which is a significant source of relief for those who are anxious going in.

The extraction itself typically takes approximately one hour from start to finish, depending on the number of teeth being removed and the complexity of their positioning. Deeply impacted teeth may take slightly longer to address. You may be aware of some sounds or mild pressure during the procedure, but you should not feel pain at any point. If you do, communicate that to your surgeon immediately.

After the procedure is complete, you’ll rest briefly in our office while any minor bleeding is managed and initial recovery begins. You’ll be given detailed post-operative instructions covering pain management, diet, oral hygiene, and activity restrictions. A responsible adult must be available to drive you home — you will not be able to drive yourself after sedation. Plan to rest for the remainder of that day.

Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group serves wisdom teeth patients throughout Memphis, Germantown, Collierville, and Cordova, Tennessee. We also recently opened The Wisdom Tooth Center at our Poplar Avenue location — a dedicated practice focused entirely on wisdom teeth. Call 901-398-0793 to schedule your procedure.

Recovery from wisdom teeth removal varies from patient to patient depending on factors like age, the complexity of the extraction, how many teeth were removed, and how closely post-operative instructions are followed. That said, most patients treated at Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group in Memphis, Tennessee are feeling substantially back to normal within three to five days, with complete tissue healing taking approximately two to three weeks.

The most critical period is the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. What you do — and what you avoid — during this window has the biggest impact on how smoothly your recovery goes. Here are the most important guidelines our team provides.

Bite firmly on the gauze placed by your surgeon for approximately one hour after surgery to control any minor bleeding. Apply an ice pack to the outside of your cheek — five minutes on, ten minutes off — to reduce swelling and minimize bruising during the first 24 hours. Take your pain medication as prescribed and start it before the local anesthesia fully wears off, so you stay ahead of discomfort rather than reacting to it after it’s already set in. Stick to soft foods such as yogurt, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, applesauce, and smoothies. Avoid hard, crunchy, or chewy foods, carbonated beverages, and dairy products during the first day.

Do not use a straw, spit forcefully, or smoke at any point during the recovery period. These actions can dislodge the blood clot forming in the empty socket — a painful and recovery-delaying complication known as dry socket that is entirely preventable with the right precautions. Avoid alcohol while taking any prescribed antibiotics or pain medications.

After the first 24 hours, transition from ice to moist heat applied in the same intervals to help with any residual swelling. Begin rinsing gently with warm salt water several times daily to keep the surgical area clean and support tissue healing.

If you have questions or concerns during your recovery — including any unusual bleeding, worsening pain after the first couple of days, or signs of infection — our team at Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group is available by phone 24 hours a day at 901-398-0793.

Dental implants are widely regarded as the gold standard for tooth replacement in modern dentistry, and for good reason. A dental implant is a small titanium post that is surgically placed into the jawbone to function as an artificial tooth root. Because titanium is biocompatible, the surrounding bone naturally fuses with the implant through a process called osseointegration over the months following placement. Once integration is complete, a custom-crafted crown, bridge, or implant-retained denture is attached to the implant — creating a restoration that looks, feels, and functions exactly like a natural tooth.

What makes dental implants fundamentally different from other tooth replacement options like traditional bridges or dentures is that they replace the root, not just the visible crown. When a tooth and its root are lost, the underlying jawbone begins to deteriorate because it no longer receives the stimulation of chewing pressure through a root structure. This bone resorption gradually changes the shape of the jaw, causes neighboring teeth to drift and shift, alters bite alignment, and can produce visible changes in facial structure over time. Dental implants interrupt that process entirely — the titanium post stimulates the bone just as a natural root would, preserving density and maintaining the long-term structural integrity of your jaw.

Dental implants are an excellent choice for patients in Memphis, Germantown, Collierville, and Cordova, Tennessee who are missing one tooth, several teeth, or all of their teeth and are looking for a permanent, stable, long-lasting solution. They eliminate the inconvenience and discomfort of removable dentures, avoid the structural compromise of traditional bridges that require grinding down healthy adjacent teeth, and provide a level of stability and confidence that no other restoration can match.

At Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group, our oral surgeons use CBCT cone beam three-dimensional imaging to plan every implant case with precision, and we employ advanced tissue engineering techniques including Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) to support faster, more predictable healing. Call us at 901-398-0793 to schedule your dental implant consultation.

One of the most common concerns patients have when exploring dental implants near Memphis, Tennessee is whether they actually qualify for the procedure. The encouraging reality is that the vast majority of adults who are missing teeth are either already good candidates for dental implants or can become strong candidates with the right preparatory treatment. Very few patients are permanently excluded from implant treatment.

The most important baseline requirement for dental implant placement is adequate jawbone volume. The implant needs a sufficient foundation of healthy bone to anchor into securely. Patients who have had missing teeth for an extended period often experience significant bone resorption in the area of the missing tooth — meaning the bone has diminished over time due to lack of stimulation. If this has occurred, a bone grafting procedure can be performed prior to implant placement to rebuild the necessary bone structure. Bone grafting is a well-established, routinely performed procedure that our oral surgeons at Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group carry out regularly, and it opens the door to implant treatment for many patients who were told elsewhere that they weren’t candidates due to insufficient bone.

Overall health is also evaluated carefully. Conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes, certain autoimmune disorders, or medications that affect bone metabolism or healing can impact implant outcomes and need to be carefully managed before surgery proceeds. Active gum disease must be treated and fully resolved before implants are placed, as periodontal bacteria significantly increase the risk of implant failure. Smoking is a major risk factor for complications and implant failure, and patients who smoke are strongly advised to quit prior to surgery and throughout the healing period.

At your implant consultation with Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group, our oral surgeons will take a CBCT cone beam three-dimensional scan of your jaw, review your full dental and medical history, and give you an honest, thorough assessment of exactly where you stand — along with a clear treatment plan for moving forward. Call us at 901-398-0793 to get started.

Yes — sedation is a standard, central part of how Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group delivers surgical care. Our oral surgeons administer anesthesia for every surgical procedure performed at our practice, ensuring that every patient in Memphis, Germantown, Collierville, Cordova, and the surrounding Tennessee communities can go through their oral surgery procedure comfortably, safely, and with as little anxiety as possible.

For most surgical procedures — including wisdom teeth removal and dental implant placement — we use IV sedation combined with local anesthesia. IV sedation is administered through a small intravenous line and produces a deeply relaxed, often sleep-like state throughout the procedure. Local anesthesia is used in addition to fully numb the surgical site, ensuring there is no pain in the area being treated. The combination of the two means that most patients have little to no memory of the procedure itself — a significant comfort for patients who experience dental anxiety or who are understandably nervous about surgical procedures.

The ability to safely administer IV sedation in an office setting is one of the key distinctions between an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and a general dentist. Our hospital-based residency training included extensive anesthesia education and clinical experience, which is why we are uniquely qualified to provide this level of sedation safely outside of a hospital environment. Throughout every procedure, our surgical team monitors your vital signs and ensures you are stable and comfortable from the moment sedation begins until you are fully recovered and ready to go home.

Because you will not be able to drive after IV sedation, it is essential that you arrange for a responsible adult — a family member or trusted friend — to drive you to and from your appointment. Plan to rest for the remainder of the day following any sedation procedure. If you have specific questions about anesthesia options or concerns about sedation, our team at Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group is happy to discuss them with you in detail before your procedure. Call us at 901-398-0793 to schedule your consultation.

Scheduling an appointment at Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group is straightforward, and our team works to make the process as smooth and accessible as possible from the very first contact. We accept patient referrals from general dentists and other dental specialists throughout the Memphis metropolitan area, and we also welcome patients who reach out directly — whether you’ve been referred or are simply looking for a trusted oral surgeon near you.

To schedule a consultation or procedure appointment, call our office directly at 901-398-0793. Our team is available to take calls and schedule appointments Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. For patients who have already had a procedure with us and have post-operative questions or concerns outside of office hours, our team is available by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week at that same number — so you are never without support during your recovery.

Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group operates two convenient locations in the Memphis area to serve as wide a patient community as possible. Our primary East Memphis office is located at 6584 Poplar Avenue, Suite 101, Memphis, TN 38138 — easily accessible for patients throughout East Memphis, Germantown, Tennessee, Collierville, Tennessee, Cordova, Tennessee, and the broader Shelby County region. This location is also home to The Wisdom Tooth Center, our dedicated practice focused exclusively on wisdom teeth removal. Our second location is at Methodist South Hospital, 1251 Wesley Drive, Suite 101, Memphis, TN 38116, serving patients on the south side of Memphis and those who require hospital-based oral surgical care.

We proudly serve patients from across the greater Memphis area including Memphis, Germantown, Collierville, Cordova, and surrounding communities throughout West Tennessee and North Mississippi. Our team also includes Spanish-speaking staff, ensuring that patients whose primary language is Spanish can communicate fully and comfortably throughout their care. We treat patients of all ages and medical backgrounds, including children, pregnant women, and medically compromised patients. Whatever your oral surgery need, we are here to help — call Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group at 901-398-0793 today.