Oral Surgery in Santa Clara, CA

Oral Surgery in Silicon Valley

Patients at our Santa Clara office tend to arrive having already done the research. They have read about implant success rates, they know what a sinus lift is, and they want to understand why a given procedure is being recommended before they agree to it.

That is a reasonable way to approach surgery, and it works better when the surgeon and the restorative dentist are in the same practice answering the same questions. Thrive Dental Santa Clara now provides oral and maxillofacial surgery directly.

Your Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

Dr. Roger K. Lau, DDS grew up in the Bay Area, graduating as valedictorian from San Leandro High School before earning a B.S. in Biochemistry and then his DDS at UCLA. He completed dual oral and maxillofacial surgery internships at Montefiore Medical Center and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, followed by a four-year residency at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh that included a chief resident year.

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is one of twelve dental specialties recognized by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards, requiring a dental degree plus a hospital-based surgical residency of four or more years.

Second Opinions on Surgical Treatment Plans

If you have been handed a surgical treatment plan and a five-figure estimate, a second opinion is a reasonable step, and it is one we are happy to provide.

Bring your imaging and your written plan. We will tell you what we would do and why, including where we agree with the original recommendation. Sometimes the honest answer is that the first plan was sound. Sometimes there is a less invasive option that was not discussed, or a sequencing change that reduces the total number of surgical appointments. Either way you leave understanding the reasoning rather than just the price.

Wisdom Teeth on a Working Schedule

Most patients return to routine activity two to three days after third molar removal, with swelling peaking around forty-eight hours. That is the practical constraint most working adults and graduate students are planning around, and it is worth planning around rather than deferring indefinitely.

The clinical case for evaluating in the late teens to early twenties is that roots are still forming and bone is less dense, which generally means a shorter procedure and faster healing. If you are past that window and your wisdom teeth have never caused trouble, that is worth imaging and discussing rather than assuming either way. Not every wisdom tooth needs to come out.

Dental Implants

A dental implant is a titanium post placed into the jawbone that functions as an artificial root. Angle, depth, and position are decided during surgery and determine what the final crown can look like and how it loads under function.

When the surgical and restorative phases are planned by two separate offices, those decisions get made without the final restoration fully designed. Here they are made together. Where bone volume is insufficient, grafting or a sinus lift rebuilds the site first, which adds months to the timeline rather than ruling out the treatment.

Surgical Options for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is widely underdiagnosed, and the daytime symptoms get attributed to workload. Most patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea do well with CPAP or a custom oral appliance, and those should generally be tried first.

For patients who cannot tolerate either, or whose anatomy limits how well they work, surgical airway procedures are worth evaluating. Dr. Lau’s residency training included sleep apnea surgery, so that evaluation can happen here rather than starting a new referral chain. Bring your sleep study if you have one.

Cost and Insurance Before You Commit

You get a written estimate before treatment is scheduled. Oral surgery coverage splits between dental and medical benefits depending on the diagnosis, and the split is not intuitive. Impacted wisdom teeth and surgical extractions are commonly dental. Procedures with a medical basis, including jaw reconstruction, pathology, and treatment tied to obstructive sleep apnea, are sometimes billed to medical insurance instead. Our team verifies both.

For balances insurance does not cover, we offer third-party financing with monthly payment plans, including applications that do not affect your credit score to check.

Serving Santa Clara County

Our office at 545 Saratoga Ave B serves Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Mountain View, Campbell, and Milpitas. See our Santa Clara areas we serve page for more.

Book a Consultation in Santa Clara

Call (408) 403-4337 or schedule online. The first visit is an evaluation: history, exam, imaging, and a written plan you can take away and think about.