Oral Surgeons

At Scottsdale Hyperbaric Center, we provide Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) as an advanced treatment to help accelerate healing and reduce inflammation for patients undergoing dentistry and oromaxillofacial surgery. Whether recovering from tooth extractions, jaw surgery, or managing complications from radiation therapy, HBOT supports the body’s natural healing processes by increasing oxygen delivery to damaged tissues. This makes it especially effective for conditions such as osteoradionecrosis of the jaw, nerve injury, dental infections, and post-operative pain and swelling.

How HBOT Benefits Dentistry and Oral Surgery Patients

HBOT has a wide range of benefits for patients in the field of dentistry and oral surgery. Here’s how HBOT helps:

• Osteoradionecrosis of the Jaw (ORN): This condition, often caused by radiation therapy for head and neck cancers, leads to the death of jawbone tissue due to reduced blood flow. HBOT significantly aids in the prevention and treatment of ORN by promoting blood vessel formation and enhancing oxygenation to the affected tissues, helping to regenerate the bone and prevent further complications.
• Facial Flap Healing: After surgery, particularly facial reconstructive surgery, patients may experience compromised blood flow to the surgical area, leading to delayed healing. HBOT helps enhance oxygen delivery to these areas, promoting faster recovery and better graft survival.
• Nerve Injury: HBOT is beneficial in promoting the repair of damaged nerves, including those in the jaw or face. It stimulates the proliferation of stem cells and enhances the body’s ability to regenerate nerve tissues.
• Dental Infections: For patients with dental infections, HBOT works synergistically with antibiotics to improve their effectiveness by increasing the oxygen saturation in tissues. This supports the immune system and speeds up the healing process.
• Post-Operative Pain and Swelling: After dental or oral surgery, swelling and pain are common. HBOT helps reduce both by improving tissue oxygenation and promoting faster recovery, leading to a decrease in inflammation and discomfort.
• Facial Infections: For facial infections, especially those that affect soft tissue and bones, HBOT accelerates the healing process by enhancing blood flow and supporting the body’s natural defense mechanisms.

How HBOT Works in Dentistry and Oral Surgery

HBOT involves breathing 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber. This process increases oxygen levels in the bloodstream, which allows more oxygen to be delivered to the body’s tissues, especially those that are healing or inflamed. Here’s how HBOT helps:

• Increased Oxygenation: HBOT increases the oxygen level in tissues, improving healing by stimulating collagen production, reducing inflammation, and promoting tissue regeneration.
• Anti-Inflammatory: HBOT has a potent anti-inflammatory effect, helping to reduce swelling and discomfort, especially in the post-operative period.
• Enhanced Immune Function: Oxygen therapy boosts the activity of white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infection and promoting healing in areas affected by surgery or infection.
• Stem Cell Activation: HBOT stimulates the proliferation of stem cells from the bone marrow and helps them migrate to the site of injury, promoting tissue regeneration and repair.
• Synergistic Effect with Antibiotics: HBOT enhances the penetration of antibiotics into infected tissues, helping to combat infections more effectively.