Oral surgeons in Houston, no referral needed
Two oral and maxillofacial surgeons, on site, with IV sedation and a 3D scan that plans the surgery before it is booked. You can call us directly. A referral from your dentist is welcome but not required.
You can book with us directly
This is the question we are asked most often on the phone, so it goes first: no, you do not need a referral from a general dentist to see an oral surgeon here. You can call and book the consultation yourself.
Referrals are common because most general dentists do not do surgical extractions in-house, and plenty of our cases arrive that way. But nothing about the specialty requires one. If a tooth is broken below the gum, if a wisdom tooth is impacted, or if you have been told you need a graft before an implant, you can come straight to us.
What a referral does add, when you have one, is the imaging and notes your dentist already has. Bring them if you have them; we will take our own scan either way.
Call (713) 322-7474 or book online.
If it is a single tooth, read what to expect from a tooth extraction before you come in. If you were told there is not enough bone for implants, ask us about subperiosteal implants at the same visit.
What an oral surgeon is, and how they differ from a dentist
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a dentist who has completed a hospital based surgical residency after dental school, typically four to six years, covering anesthesia, surgical management of the mouth, jaws and face, and the medical care that goes with operating on people.
The practical difference from a general dentist is scope and setting. A general dentist removes teeth that lift out. A surgeon handles the ones that do not: impacted under bone, fractured below the gum, sitting against a nerve, or needing bone removed to get them out. They are also trained and credentialed to administer IV sedation, which is why it is available here rather than referred elsewhere.
"Dental surgeon" is not a recognized specialty title in the United States and is often used loosely. The credential to look for is oral and maxillofacial surgery, and board certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
When your case needs an oral surgeon
A general dentist handles routine extractions well. The cases that belong here are the ones where the anatomy or the risk is bigger than a standard visit is built for: a wisdom tooth that is impacted or only partly through the gum, a tooth broken off below the gum line, an extraction that needs bone removed or the tooth sectioned to come out cleanly, a socket that needs a graft so an implant can follow, and anything that calls for IV sedation.
Jaw pathology, cysts and surgery on the jaw joint are the same specialty. If you are not sure which side of that line your tooth is on, the CBCT scan at your consultation usually settles it in a few minutes, and the same surgeon who reads it does the procedure.
Who would be treating you
Dr. Jonathan Rosenstein is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, board certified and a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Touro College, where he graduated valedictorian, took his DDS at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, and completed his surgical residency at The Brooklyn Hospital Center.
Dr. Edmund Watkins also practices oral and maxillofacial surgery here. Born in Barbados, he attended the University of California, Santa Barbara before graduating from Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, then completed a General Practice Residency at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital and an internship at the Bronx VA in association with Mount Sinai, both hospital based programs.
Both work in the same building as the restorative dentists, the periodontist and the endodontists, which is the part that matters for anything that does not end at the extraction.
What we treat
• Wisdom teeth, impacted or erupted, at $450 per tooth. Full detail on the wisdom teeth page.
• Tooth extraction at $290, including teeth broken at the gum line or too decayed to restore.
• Bone grafting at $650, to rebuild a ridge so an implant has something solid to anchor into. See bone grafting.
• Dental implant placement, $3,500 for a single implant with the crown included: the surgeon places the post, and our restorative dentists fit the crown. See dental implants.
• Surgical exposure of impacted teeth, and the extractions that orthodontic treatment sometimes needs first.
• Biopsy and assessment of lesions in the mouth that need a definite answer rather than watching.
Anything that turns out to sit outside this list, we will tell you plainly and help you find the right place rather than attempting it.
The scan that plans the surgery
Nothing gets scheduled off a guess. The CBCT scan shows the tooth or the graft site in three dimensions rather than the flat view a standard X ray gives.
On a lower wisdom tooth, it shows exactly where the roots sit relative to the inferior alveolar nerve, which supplies feeling to the lip and chin. That single measurement changes how the surgeon approaches the tooth, and sometimes changes the recommendation from removal to monitoring.
On an upper molar it shows the sinus floor. For grafting and implant planning it shows how much bone is actually there, in width and height, rather than how much appears to be there.
It happens at your consultation, and it is the reason we will not quote a surgical case over the phone.
Why grafting at extraction time is worth discussing
If a removed tooth might one day be replaced with an implant, the moment of extraction is a decision point that does not come back. A systematic review of healed extraction sites found about two thirds of the horizontal bone loss happens in the first three months after a tooth comes out. Wait a year to decide, and the site an implant needs may already be gone.
A socket preservation graft placed on the day of extraction holds the space with bone material so the ridge keeps its volume. It adds one step to the same appointment rather than a second surgery later, which is exactly why we raise it before the tooth comes out, not after. If you already know an implant is not in your future, we say that too, and skip it. More on the bone grafting page.
When surgery isn't the first move
Not every tooth that hurts needs to come out, and not every impacted tooth needs surgery this year. A cracked or infected tooth with sound roots is often better served by a root canal, which keeps the tooth; our endodontists work in the same office, so that conversation happens the same day. A wisdom tooth that is impacted but causing no pain, infection or damage to its neighbour can be watched with periodic X-rays rather than removed, which is what the ADA's patient guidance describes; the trade-off is that removal gets harder with age, so we set a review interval rather than forgetting about it. Loose teeth from gum disease are sometimes stabilised with periodontal treatment instead of extraction when the bone around them is still adequate.
When surgery is not needed, we say so at the consultation. Not every exam ends in a treatment plan.
Sedation, and how to prepare
Most people worry more about the anesthesia than the surgery.
Local anesthetic alone is enough for a straightforward extraction. The area is fully numb, you stay awake, and you can drive yourself home.
IV sedation at $1,500 puts you in a deeply relaxed state where you are unaware of the procedure and typically remember little of it. You will need someone to drive you, and you will need to follow fasting instructions we give you beforehand.
General anesthesia is available in the office for specific cases, and when it's used, our visiting physician anesthesiologist gives it. We'll tell you at the consultation whether your case calls for it. Dr. Shirin Farhadian, our periodontist, holds a Texas Level 3 sedation permit.
Which one suits you is a conversation at the consultation rather than a default. Anxiety is a legitimate reason to choose sedation and we will not talk you out of it. More on the options at sedation dentistry.
Dry socket, and how to stay out of its way
The complication people fear most after an extraction is dry socket, and it is worth understanding because it is largely preventable. The socket heals under a blood clot; when that clot dislodges or fails to form, the bone and nerves underneath are left exposed, and the result is a throbbing pain that starts a few days after surgery and often radiates to the ear.
The clot's enemies are suction and smoke: straws, spitting, vigorous rinsing, and smoking in the first days. Skip those and most people never meet this problem. If pain is climbing on day two or three instead of fading, call us; a medicated dressing settles a dry socket quickly, and our dry socket guide covers the details.
The first week afterward
Plan for a quiet first day. Bite on gauze until the bleeding settles, ice the outside of your face in twenty minute stretches, and eat cool, soft food. Swelling usually peaks around day two or three and then starts down, so feeling puffier on Tuesday than Monday is normal rather than a setback.
The rules that matter most are the boring ones. No straws, no smoking or vaping, no vigorous rinsing and no spitting for the first twenty four hours, because all four dislodge the clot that is holding the socket. Gentle warm salt water rinses start from day two.
Call us rather than waiting if pain climbs sharply around day three, if swelling worsens after day three instead of easing, if you have a fever, or if bleeding restarts and will not settle with pressure. Pain that increases around day three usually means dry socket, which we treat in one visit.
We keep same-day emergency slots on weekdays for exactly this.
Oral surgery in Midtown Houston
We are at 106 W Gray Street in Midtown, between Downtown and the Texas Medical Center, with parking on site. Surgical cases come to us from Montrose, River Oaks, the Heights, EaDo and the Museum District, and referrals arrive from general dentists across the city who do not do surgical extractions in-house.
The practical consequence of a multi-specialty practice is that the extraction, the graft that may follow it, and the implant that replaces the tooth are planned in one office by people who talk to each other. When those three sit at three addresses, the compromises show up in the final result.
Open Monday to Friday 9 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 3. Saturday matters for surgery specifically, because it means recovering across a weekend rather than taking days off.
A tooth that has to come out today does not need to wait for a consultation: our emergency tooth extraction page covers same-day removal and its fees.
Call (713) 322-7474 or book online. The consultation includes the scan.
Treatments & pricing
Wisdom teeth removal
All four wisdom teeth, under IV sedation, in one visit. Most patients return to normal activity in 3-5 days.
Bone grafting
Restore bone volume before implants. Ridge augmentation, sinus lifts, socket preservation.
Tooth extraction
Simple and surgical extractions. Same-day extractions available for emergencies.
IV sedation
IV sedation, given by our oral surgeons, our periodontist or a visiting physician anesthesiologist. Most patients remember little or nothing of the procedure.
Prices are estimates for self-pay patients before insurance. What your own plan contributes depends on the policy, and we verify it with your insurer before treatment. Financing through Cherry, Affirm and Sunbit for qualifying applicants, subject to the lender's approval.
The team who handles this work
Frequently asked
Can you go straight to an oral surgeon, or do you need a referral?
You can book directly with us. No referral from a general dentist is required to see an oral surgeon at Omega Dental Specialists. Many patients do arrive by referral, because most general dentists do not perform surgical extractions in-house, but nothing about the specialty requires one. If you have imaging or notes from your dentist, bring them; we will take our own CBCT scan either way.
How much does it cost to see an oral surgeon in Houston?
The consultation includes the CBCT 3D scan. That is not a limited offer or a screening visit; it is the appointment where the surgeon examines you, reads the scan, and tells you what the case actually involves.
Treatment starts at $290 for an extraction, $450 per tooth for wisdom teeth, $650 for a bone graft and $1,500 for IV sedation. Sedation is charged per appointment rather than per tooth, which is why doing multiple extractions in one visit costs less overall than splitting them.
Where your case lands depends on what the scan shows. A fully erupted tooth with simple roots is not the same job as a horizontally impacted lower wisdom tooth under bone. We will tell you which one you have, in writing, before anything is booked, and the number does not move unless the plan changes and you approve the change.
Whether your policy contributes depends entirely on that policy. Surgical extractions are more commonly covered than elective treatment, and some plans process impacted teeth under medical rather than dental benefits. We verify your specific benefit with your insurer before treatment at no charge, file the claim for you, and give you your share in writing. Cherry, Affirm and Sunbit spread the balance monthly.
What is the difference between a dental surgeon and an oral surgeon?
"Dental surgeon" is not a recognized specialty title in the United States and is used loosely. The credential to look for is oral and maxillofacial surgery: a dentist who completed a hospital based surgical residency of typically four to six years after dental school, covering anesthesia and the surgical management of the mouth, jaws and face. Dr. Jonathan Rosenstein is board certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
How much does a tooth extraction cost in Houston?
A tooth extraction is $290 at Omega Dental Specialists and wisdom teeth are $450 per tooth. IV sedation, if you want it, is $1,500 per appointment rather than per tooth, so removing several teeth in one visit costs less overall than splitting them across visits. A bone graft to preserve the socket for a future implant is $650. Local anesthetic is included.
Will I be asleep during the procedure?
Only if you choose to be. Local anesthetic alone is enough for a straightforward extraction, and you can drive yourself home. IV sedation at $1,500 puts you in a deeply relaxed state where you are unaware of the procedure and remember little of it, and you will need a driver. General anesthesia is available in the office for specific cases, given by our visiting physician anesthesiologist. Anxiety is a legitimate reason to choose sedation.
Does insurance cover oral surgery?
It depends on your policy and on the procedure. Surgical extractions and wisdom teeth are more often covered than elective treatment, and some plans process oral surgery under medical rather than dental benefits, particularly for bony impactions. We verify your specific benefit with your insurer before treatment, file the claim for you, and give you your share in writing beforehand. That check is free.
What is bone grafting and do I need it for implants?
A bone graft rebuilds jawbone that has shrunk after a tooth was lost, giving an implant a stable foundation. It is $650 and is often done in the same appointment as the extraction, which is when it does the most good, since it preserves the ridge while it heals. Whether you need one depends on how much bone is left, which the CBCT scan measures directly. It is a step rather than a reason not to proceed.
How long is recovery from oral surgery?
Most people take two to three days off desk work after a surgical extraction, with swelling peaking around day two or three and easing after that. Soft food for the first week, and no straws, smoking, spitting or vigorous rinsing for the first twenty four hours, since all four dislodge the clot and cause dry socket. Saturday appointments let many patients recover across a weekend instead.
Related specialties
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