During early pregnancy, separate areas of a child's face develop individually and then join together, including the left and right sides of the roof of the mouth and lips. However, if the sections don’t meet, the result is a cleft. If the separation occurs in the upper lip, the child is said to have a cleft lip. A completely formed lip is important not only for a normal facial appearance but also for sucking and to form certain sounds made during speech.

The temporomandibular joints connect your jaw to your skull. You have one joint on each (left and right) side of your jaw. When the joint is injured or damaged, it can lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Since some types of TMJ problems can lead to more serious conditions, early detection and treatment are important. Contact us with any questions or to schedule a consultation.

A natural tooth consists of a root and a crown. If you compare natural teeth to implant-supported replacement teeth, you’ll see they have the same basic parts. Both have a crown (the visible part used to chew food). Both have a root that holds the tooth securely under the gum and is anchored into the jaw. The difference is that the implant is made of titanium – the same time-tested material used by surgeons for artificial joints. When you lose a tooth, you lose both the root and the crown.