What first comes into your mind when you hear oral surgery? Typically, it would be an image of a hospital setting involving general anesthesia and maybe a few days confinement for recovery. However, this type of treatment in the field of dentistry simply pertains to procedures implemented on the teeth or jaw bones that are mostly done within a dental clinic by your trusted dentist. It entails just the setting of appointment and surgery on an same day out-patient basis. There’s very little to no inconvenience at all during the procedure itself, which is actually quite common in adults and children alike.
Types of Dental Surgery
The different types are comprised of the usual tooth extraction, dental implants, and jaw-related issues. Oral surgery is also often implemented for repairs such as those caused by facial injury, fracture, cleft lip and cleft palate, and in dealing with facial infections.
Tooth Extraction
One widely recognized form of oral surgery is tooth extraction where a dentist pulls the tooth from the jaw due to a variety of possible reasons including:
– impacted wisdom teeth where it failed to fully emerge through the gum line
– tooth decay, infection, trauma
– primary teeth preventing the eruption of permanent teeth
– prerequisite of orthodontic treatment plans to achieve optimal results
Dental Implants
This is a surgical procedure performed to permanently replace missing teeth due to an accident, infection, or any other reason. Artificial but natural-looking teeth that closely resemble other teeth within the mouth are set in the position of the previously lost teeth. A dental implant requires less maintenance than dentures, and is customized to fit perfectly without causing the patient any discomfort. It is highly favorable since it yields excellent results and gives people back their beautiful smiles, as if a tooth was never lost in the first place. Often performed by a dentist or oral surgeon, the procedure putting dental implants into place varies depending on the techniques utilized by professionals, the underlying tooth conditions, and type of implant used. Recovery is similar to that of a tooth extraction and patients are back to normal eating habits within just about a week after the procedure.
Jaw-Related Problems
Jaw surgery or orthognathic surgery may be required in some cases, which is performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Some reasons include:
– TMJ or temporomandibular joint pain disorders which refers to the dysfunction caused by deformation or trauma.
– Unequal jaw growth causing difficulty in speaking, eating, chewing and swallowing, opening and closing the mouth, and even breathing
– Malocclusion or incorrect bite
– Irregularities of the jaws that need to be corrected prior to creating the dentures and ensuring a better fit.
