Oral Surgery is the specialty of dentistry that includes the diagnosis, surgical and related treatment of diseases, injuries and defects of the mouth, teeth, gums, jaws and neck.

Wisdom teeth extraction is one of the most common oral surgery procedures. Also known as third molars, these teeth will emerge when there is enough room in the mouth, but more often than not, one or more of these wisdom teeth fails to completely emerge and becomes impacted. The result includes swelling, pain, and infection of the gum tissue surrounding the wisdom teeth. When impacted, Dr. Shimizu will recommend to have them surgically removed.

If the extracted tooth happens to affect your smile or chewing efficiency - it is an incisor, premolar, or first molar – it is just as important to replace it immediately. If it is not replaced soon the adjacent and opposing teeth will collapse into the open space and cause unsightly malocclusion (bad bite). This may result in the premature loss of other teeth in future years, and is often more difficult to restore. Therefore, it is prudent to consider replacing the tooth with a dental implant, bridge, or a removable partial denture to avoid malocclusion.


Dental implants are often the first choice for tooth replacement. The implants are substitutes for the tooth root and are surgically anchored in place in the jawbone. They act to stabilize the artificial teeth to which they are attached.