When you need oral or facial surgery, trust these experts

This paid piece is sponsored by Siouxland Oral Surgery.

If you’ve ever had an impacted wisdom tooth extracted or needed a dental implant, you probably were referred to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

These experts in facial surgery remove wisdom teeth, place dental implants, perform all sorts of intra-oral grafting procedures and treat all facial injuries, along with many other conditions.

But unless you need to learn about it, most people aren’t too familiar with this area of dentistry and don’t realize dentistry has specialties just like medicine. In Sioux Falls, dental specialties include endodontics, pedodontics, orthodontics, periodontics and, of course, oral surgery. 

Siouxland Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is where you can find the experts for all surgical procedures of the mouth and associated structures.

“Our services cover all forms of tooth removal, dental implants, biopsies and further surgical treatment of the bones of the face and jaw,” said co-owner Dr. Denis Miller.

The practice was established in 1984 and since 2004 has expanded by establishing outreach clinics to the Brookings, Yankton and Mitchell communities.

“Our team of oral surgeons believes in the mission of bringing state-of-the-art care to everyone by helping more people in both the urban and rural communities in South Dakota,” Miller said.

Miller joined the practice in 1999 and is a board-certified oral surgeon. He also is an active member of the larger dental and medical communities and regularly gives presentations and lectures in the region, including as a clinical professor at the University of South Dakota dental hygiene program in Vermillion.

Miller is an active attending surgeon at both Sanford and Avera hospitals in Sioux Falls as well as at the hospitals in Mitchell and Yankton while also serving as a primary member of the facial trauma team at Sanford. He also is founder and organizer of the region’s foremost dental study club that promotes dental education in the region with six meetings a year featuring regional and nationally recognized speakers. The study club has national recognition with being a PACE/AGD provider for quality continuing education.

Co-owner Dr. Louis George moved to South Dakota from the East Coast and joined Siouxland Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in 2007 and is a board-certified oral surgeon. He has thoroughly immersed himself in the Midwest and its wonderful traditions, while being a leader within the dental community.

George is an active attending surgeon at both Sanford and Avera hospitals in Sioux Falls and at the Avera Hospital in Yankton and also serves as a primary member of the facial trauma team at Sanford. George has participated in several large research projects, and his work on the surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea was published in the Atlas of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America. He also was a frequent lecturer at the annual meetings for The American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

You also might see him active in the community, participating with the El Riad Shriners as the clown “KaBOOM” and as an active member of the 501st Legion, which is an international Star Wars costuming charity aimed at helping sick children. 

Dr. Jason Leet grew up in Yankton and is the newest addition to the team. He left home to pursue his dream of becoming a dentist and completed dental school in 2013 at the University of Minnesota. Following dental school, Leet served active duty in the Air Force for four years as a general dentist in Nebraska and Texas. While completing an Advanced Education in General Dentistry in Nebraska, he had the opportunity to work with an oral surgeon for a period of time, where he immediately realized this was the right career path for him. Following the completion of his service with the USAF, Leet completed a rigorous four-year oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at the University of Minnesota. He trained in full scope oral surgery, including advanced dental implant placement and dento-alveolar surgery, facial trauma management, orthognathic surgery, facial reconstruction and temporomandibular joint surgery.

“The recent addition of Dr. Leet marks an exciting expansion for Siouxland Oral Surgery, allowing us to see and treat more patients not only in our main office in Sioux Falls, but also at our satellite offices in the more rural communities,” George said.

Siouxland Oral Surgery is the only team to offer surgical services to South Dakota in Sioux Falls, Mitchell, Yankton and Brookings. 

“Our primary goal at Siouxland is to provide our community with the highest quality comprehensive oral and maxillofacial surgical care possible while still maintaining a comfortable and safe environment for our patients,” Miller said.

The practice achieves this goal by using the most advanced technology and surgical techniques available. Some of those advanced services include in-office anesthesia, 3D imaging, 3D printing, digital scanning, LASER treatments, robotic surgery, advanced dental implant placement, plasma-rich protein, and bone morphogenic protein treatments, and other modern techniques to make every procedure as efficient, safe and effective as possible.  

Siouxland Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery has 33 employees, and each doctor has a polished team of certified dental assistants and dental hygienists.  

“Our surgical teams are nationally certified through the Dental Assistant National Board and complete the Dental Anesthesia Assistant National Certification administered by the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons,” George said. “Furthermore, the surgical staff at Siouxland OMFS attends consistent training to ensure the best care possible for our patients. 

“The administrative team is made up of a very knowledgeable group of women that are involved in continuing education for customer service, insurance and data management.  

“Each member in the administrative team takes pride in learning the ‘ins and outs’ of the front office,” Miller said. “So if you visit our office on more than one occasion, the smiling faces you see may not always be the same, but we are all trained to the highest standards to make your visit flow smoothly!” 

Many team members in both the administrative and surgical departments have been with Siouxland OMFS for many years.

“So the turnover rate is low, and the people you meet today will probably be there tomorrow and for years to come,” George said. “That is part of the family experience we pride ourselves on.” 

In all its offices, Siouxland Oral Surgery offers the friendly familiarity of a dental practice where people know your name, along with the state-of-the-art technology, anesthesia, sterilization techniques and the COVID-mitigation practices of a hospital.

“We treat people like family, so as a patient, you can certainly expect a warm, welcoming and peaceful environment,” Miller said. “Since your comfort is one of our top priorities, the entire team strives to make your experience relaxed and positive in all the stages of treatment!”

Please look for our future monthly articles covering a variety of dental and surgical topics.

To learn more about Siouxland Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, go to siouxlandoralsurgery.com.