WHAT IS ORAL SURGERY?

 Dentists and orthodontists try their best to treat your oral disease. But these conditions can sometimes only be treated through surgery. Those who perform oral surgery are known as oral surgeons. They are specialists who provide a variety of treatments. Rather than see an oral surgeon directly if you say I need an emergency dentist for a tooth extraction

, you will most likely be referred to one by your dentist.

Oral surgery treats diseases, injuries and defects that affect the:

• Head
• Teeth
• Jaws
• Neck

Extraction

Among the most common reasons for why you may see an oral surgeon is for the removal of wisdom teeth. Besides having your wisdom teeth removed, you may have diseased or impacted teeth that will need to be extracted. This is often necessary when a cavity is severe enough that it cannot be treated with fillings or a root canal. The dentist will need to cut away both teeth and gums to remove your tooth.

Tumor Removal

Oral surgeons treat oral surgeon by removing tumors. A tumor resection is an operation to remove the whole tumor. Some tumors can be removed through the mouth and other tumors must be removed by making an incision. The incision is usually made either in the neck or jawbone. If the tumor is located on your lips, the oral surgeon may cut the tumor away with small slices rather than removing at at once.

Dental Implants

Oral surgeons place dental implants. Also, if necessary, they use bone grafting to build up the jawbone so the jaw has a place where the implants can be inserted. The dental implants require that a titanium rod be inserted into the jaw so that a crown can then be attached to the implant. This allows for the dentist to simply replace one missing tooth without the need for a bridge.

Jaw Restoration

You may need corrective jaw surgery due to an injury. For example, the patient might have a face that is out of proportion and need the jaw to be placed in the proper location. One form of restorative jaw surgery is a facial implant. These implants are solid materials that are not rejected by the human body and can resemble human tissues. How the face implant is carried out is based on the cosmetic goals that you have.

Those who have unequal jaw growth may need to see an oral surgeon. The most serious cases require that part or all of the jaw be moved to a different location. The surgery re-positions the bones and braces are typically used during the healing process to make sure that the unequal jaw growth is corrected. 

TMJ Correction

If you experience facial pain and headaches, you may be suffering from TMJ. While many dentists seek to use more conservative methods of treating this condition, it sometimes has to be treated with surgery.  A crucial disk in the jaw comes out of alignment during TMJ and the oral surgeon will attempt to re-position the disc. In some cases, the oral surgeon will instead use a replacement disc.

Reshaping the Jaw for Dentures

Oral surgery is sometimes required when dentures don't fit. The jawbone deteriorates when teeth are missing. This may require that the oral surgeon build up your jawbone to make it possible to use dentures. It may also be necessary to re-position the jawbone for the dentures to fit.

Benign Cyst and Tumor Removal

Sometimes, oral surgeons will treat benign conditions such as benign tumors and cysts. These are corrective surgeries used to improve the comfort and appearance of the patient. Some cysts are caused by the inflammation of the root pulp and will go away after a root canal. However, if the cyst does not go away on its own, the doctor will often advise that the cyst be surgically removed. Also, cysts often form nearby impacted teeth.

Your dentist will usually try to avoid using oral surgery, given the risk of complications. However, if your dentist is considering sending you to see an oral surgeon, this is likely the only way your condition can be treated.