Oral and maxillofacial surgery focuses specifically on treating any disease or oral condition related to any area in the face, jaws, neck, and in the hard and soft tissues of these regions. The surgery is typically performed by an oral surgeon.
The thought of oral surgery may let us think that surgeries would solely involve anesthesia, scalpels, hospital, and days to recover. However, there are several simple dental procedures that are performed in a general office that are considered to be oral surgeries. Here are a few examples:
Tooth extraction is a simple oral surgery and also a common one. Teeth may be extracted for many reasons. The obvious reason for extraction would be:
- Impacted or broken teeth
- Partially erupted wisdom teeth
- Teeth that can't be saved with a root canal
- Baby teeth that don't seem to fall, delaying the permanent ones to grow
- Overcrowding that may force an extraction to be done
Broken or injured teeth cannot ensure a charming smile. Such teeth would need to be removed, and hence an extraction is a next step. An implant is a surgical procedure that involves the placement of a metal stud that would act as the artificial roots for your replacement teeth.
Your wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to erupt. They grow at the back of the mouth and may sometimes lead to teeth crowding. The dentist would conduct an examination to understand the nature of the wisdom teeth to decide whether it needs removal or not.
Corrective Jaw Surgery
Corrective jaw surgery is also known as orthognathic surgery. This surgery is recommended only in certain situations that'd compromise the position of the jaws, dysfunctions the TMJ, and in conditions where teeth suffer from malocclusions, teeth grinding, or when the patient complains of unexplained headaches, and prolonged neck pain. Your dentist would advise you to see an oral surgeon to further understand your condition.
To understand more about our oral surgery procedures, call our office and we will assist you. Request an appointment at Everyone’s Family Dental by placing an appointment at any of our offices.