Grand Rapids Oral Surgeon

The COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan has limited patient access to routine oral health care. This has forced many patients to use antibiotics rather than definitive care for infectious dental problems. Most patients who present to Emergency Departments/Urgent Care are prescribed antibiotics and analgesics and directed to seek treatment with a dentist. Unfortunately, even before COVID, many patients often did not follow thru with care once symptoms resolved.

You Couldn’t Call John Macleod lucky, exactly, that day in November 2016. Lucky would have been not being shot in the face at all. But with that large exception, fortune was smiling on Macleod. How else, after a 410-gauge shotgun shell was fired at close range from a .45-caliber pistol at his face, could he be looking fine and speaking and chewing normally today? Says the 40-year-old electrical lineman from Lowell: “You can’t even tell I got shot.” What helped was prompt treatment by several clinicians, including Richard W. Panek, DDS, from the Center for Oral Surgery and Dental Implants (COSDI). This case wasn’t typical—“a once-in-a-career injury for an OMFS,” says Dr. Panek. But it shows what the pros at COSDI must be ready for during weeks on call at a Level I trauma center. Though Macleod is fine today, trauma can create complications for future dental treatment.

For a dentist—especially one who owns his or her practice—planning to retire is a very emotional thing. But if you trust gut instincts, there’s a risk you’ll make a decision you regret. Often, you must go against the grain of your inclinations for the big decisions involved in selling a practice and retiring, says Novi, Michigan-based transition specialist Patrick W. Houlihan, DDS.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the stresses that have come with it have affected every aspect of our lives—including, it turns out, our dental health.

To gain a better understanding of how COVID-19 has impacted dental practices, the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute has been conducting biweekly polls during the pandemic. The results of a poll conducted the week of February 15, 2021, shed light on how the stresses of the pandemic have impacted patients: Stress-related oral conditions have been on the rise since the pandemic began.

A happy retirement! Dr. Billups has been with the Center for Oral Surgery and Dental Implants for 27 years. She was only the second female resident in the history of the University of Michigan’s prestigious OMS program and has had the longest practicing career of any female in the specialty in our state to date.

Julie will definitely not sit idle in retirement, as she has been pursuing and growing her successful, award-winning jewelry business, Silverfish Designs. Make sure to stop by her website shopsilverfish.com or any number of local art galleries to see her work.

Most of the time, the inside of the mouth is moist. But what if that moisture is chronically absent? This condition, called xerostomia or dry mouth, happens when the salivary glands don’t produce enough saliva.

What little saliva is made becomes thick and the mouth feels sticky or dry. Chewing, swallowing or speaking may become difficult and things may not taste the same. The tongue can become dry and grooved, and bad breath may develop. The throat also can be affected, turning dry or sore resulting in hoarseness.

When you think of COVID-19 symptoms, what comes to mind? Probably a fever, dry cough and shortness of breath—perhaps loss of taste and smell. Yet an inability to enjoy the flavors of a savory bowl of pasta or your favorite dessert is not the only oral health problem people can experience with this virus. Below are other conditions that doctors and researchers have noticed are appearing with COVID-19.

You may not have anything to eat or drink (including water) for 8 hours prior to the appointment. No smoking for at least 12 hours before surgery. Ideally, cut down or stop smoking as soon as possible prior to the day of surgery.

A small amount of bleeding is to be expected following the operation. If bleeding occurs, place a gauze pad directly over the bleeding socket and apply biting pressure for 30 minutes. If bleeding continues, bite on a moistened black tea bag for 30 minutes. The tannic acid in the black tea helps to form a clot by contracting blood vessels. If bleeding occurs, avoid hot liquids, exercise, and elevate the head. If bleeding persists, call our office immediately. Do not remove the immediate denture unless the bleeding is severe. Expect some oozing around the side of the denture.