When you hear the term ‘oral surgery,’ you might immediately think of complex tooth extractions. Although that is undoubtedly a component of it, the field of oral surgery is far more expansive and intriguing. Fortunately, the process is safe and comfortable, all thanks to modern dentistry technology that allows oral surgeons to perform precise diagnoses and treatments.
Oral surgery plays a vital role in preserving dental health, restoring function, and enhancing aesthetics. Routine dental visits can help prevent many oral health issues that might otherwise require oral surgery, like cavities and gum disease.
If you need oral surgery, our reputable oral surgeons at Calabasas Smiles Advanced Dentistry can ensure you receive the highest standard of care and treatment you deserve to preserve your functions and aesthetics.
Oral Surgery at a Glance
Before we go into detail about the issues that could require oral surgery and common procedures, you need to understand what this procedure entails. Oral surgery is a specialized branch of dentistry encompassing a broad range of surgical treatments whose primary purpose is to address issues affecting your jaw, mouth, and facial structures.
From routine teeth removal to sophisticated reconstructive surgeries, each treatment plays a vital role in helping maintain and preserve your function and appearance. While some dental issues will require surgery as a stand-alone procedure, other oral and dental health issues necessitate a combination of surgery with different treatment options to accelerate the healing process and promote overall success.
If your dentist recommends oral surgery as the ideal treatment for your unique dental and oral health issue, you would want to research what to expect beforehand. In addition to helping you prepare for the procedure, prior research and preparation could help you appreciate the possible expected outcome of this treatment option.
Reasons Why Most People Require Oral Surgery
Your dentist or oral surgeon could recommend oral surgery for different reasons, from fixing dental and oral health issues to enhancing the functions and aesthetics of your teeth and maxillofacial region. Below are common reasons that could necessitate oral surgery:
Impacted Teeth
Impacted teeth occur when some become trapped underneath your jawbone or gums instead of erupting above the gum surface like other teeth. While this condition could affect any tooth in your mouth, canines and wisdom teeth are more likely to become impacted.
Insufficient space in your jawbone is one of the leading causes of impacted teeth. Depending on the severity of the condition, an impacted tooth could cause infection, pain, and severe swelling.
Tooth Loss
You could require oral surgery if you have a missing tooth that you want to replace. To replace a missing tooth, your oral surgeon will recommend dental implant placement on your jawbone, which acts as artificial tooth roots to hold a dental crown (artificial tooth) in place.
Jaw Problems
Some conditions involving your jaws, like misaligned jaws and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders, could necessitate surgical intervention to relieve pain and improve function.
Oral Cancer
While oral cancer, also known as mouth cancer, often affects people aged sixty years and older, it could affect anyone. A family history of oral cancer, smoking tobacco products, excessive consumption of alcohol, and human papillomavirus are some of the common factors that can increase your risk of oral cancer.
If you have oral cancer or cancerous tissues, your oral surgeon could recommend a biopsy to remove the abnormal growth in your mouth and prevent further complications.
Facial Trauma
Injuries or accidents that result in broken jaws, teeth, and facial structures require surgical repair to restore their functions and your overall facial aesthetics.
Abscessed Tooth
A tooth abscess is typically a pocket of pus caused by a bacterial attack in your tooth pulp, periodontal structures, or periapical tissue. The infection could spread to the neighboring teeth and surrounding bone when left unchecked or untreated. If you notice the following symptoms, you should consult with a dentist immediately for treatment:
- A swollen bump on the side of your gums
- Gum redness
- Bad taste in your mouth
- Tooth sensitivity
- Bad breath
- Gum
Depending on the extent of the infection, surgery (incision and drainage) could be one of the treatments your dentist could recommend for treating an abscessed tooth.
Cosmetic Reasons
Some oral surgery procedures, like orthognathic surgery, could help improve your bite functions and boost your facial aesthetics to improve your confidence and self-esteem.
Whether or not you are an excellent candidate for oral surgery is a decision you should leave to your dentist. If your dentist determines that you require oral surgery for your unique condition, he/she will refer you to a specialist or oral surgeon. An oral surgeon is a dental specialist with advanced training to diagnose and perform surgical procedures involving the face, jaws, and mouth.
An Overview of Common Procedures in Oral Surgery
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, oral surgery encompasses various procedures tailored to address various dental and oral health issues. Below is an overview of popular types of surgical procedures an oral surgeon can perform to fix your unique condition:
Tooth Extraction
One of the most common oral surgery procedures is undoubtedly tooth extraction. Your dentist can perform this procedure, but the dentist will refer you to an oral surgeon for complex conditions. Examples of complicated conditions that could cause your dentist to refer you to a specialist include severely damaged or impacted teeth.
During a tooth extraction or removal procedure, your dentist will do the following:
- Numb your tooth to prevent discomfort
- Make an incision on your gum tissue around the affected tooth
- Extract the affected tooth from its socket
- Control bleeding
- Close the gap left by the extracted tooth
After extraction, the recovery period will last a few days, during which the dentist will recommend taking painkillers, avoiding chewing hard and sticky foods, and performing strenuous activities.
Dental Implants
After tooth extraction, replacing the missing tooth is important to preserve your teeth’s functions and your smile’s aesthetics. Your dentist will likely recommend dental implant placement to replace the missing tooth. During this surgical procedure, your oral surgeon inserts titanium or metal posts into your jawbone to act as artificial tooth roots.
The dental implants help provide stable support or anchorage for dentures, bridges, or dental crowns, restoring your teeth’s functions and aesthetics. Some of the advantages of dental implants over conventional teeth replacement options include the following:
- Enhanced aesthetics — They feel and look like your natural teeth
- Improved comfort and stability— They function and feel like natural teeth
- Durability — As long as you properly care for them, they could last for several years or a lifetime
- Preserves your jawbone — Once they are in place, dental implants can help stimulate your jawbone to regenerate, maintaining your facial structure
Bone Grafting
If you have experienced severe bone loss, either because of tooth loss, periodontal disease, or systemic health issues like osteoporosis, your dentist could recommend bone grafting before a dental implant placement procedure. To help strengthen your weakened jawbone in preparation for a dental implant, your dentist can rebuild or augment it using bone grafts.
In addition to enabling the placement of dental implants, bone grafting helps promote the regeneration of new and healthy bone and restore your jaw structure. Bone grafts can also help support the surrounding healthy teeth to prevent further and severe bone loss.
Corrective Jaw Surgery
Also known as orthognathic surgery, corrective jaw surgery can help address skeletal discrepancies affecting your lower and upper jaws, leading to bite, facial aesthetics, speech, and sleep issues. In some cases, severe jaw misalignment could obstruct your airway, leading to a condition medically known as sleep apnea. Fortunately, with the help of a seasoned oral surgeon, this issue is treatable.
During this surgical procedure, your oral surgeon can help reposition your jawbones to improve oral function and overall facial harmony.
Periodontal Surgeries and Gum Grafts
Untreated gum disease can severely impact oral health because it weakens your gums, making them recede or pull away. When that happens, periodontal pockets will form, which provide an excellent breeding ground for bacteria. Your dentist could recommend periodontal surgery and gum grafts to treat advanced gum disease (periodontitis).
Periodontal surgery can help address this issue and support the affected structures of your teeth. For example, during gum grafting, your oral surgeon can take compatible tissues from the roof of your mouth and transplant them to the affected areas of your gums. Doing that helps reduce teeth sensitivity, cover the exposed tooth roots, and improve your smile aesthetics.
Other periodontal surgical procedures your oral surgeon could recommend include:
- Crown lengthening —During this procedure, the oral surgeon will reshape the affected gum tissues to help expose more of your tooth crown
- Pocket reduction surgery—During this procedure, the oral surgeon will remove the infected tissues and bacteria from the periodontal pockets
An Easy-to-Follow Guide for Preparing for Your Oral Surgery Treatment
Preparing for oral surgery ensures a smooth process and prevents unnecessary complications. Below are tips on how to prepare for your surgical procedure:
- Consultation and Evaluation
The first crucial step in preparing for an oral surgery is scheduling a consultation appointment with your surgeon. During this initial appointment, your oral surgeon will do the following:
- Review your medical records — These records can help provide vital information about your allergies, medication, and previous surgical procedures
- Perform a thorough physical examination — A physical examination, which includes CT scans and X-rays, can help your dentist or oral surgeon assess and have a clear view of the surgical site for precise treatment
- Discuss your treatment options — Depending on the outcome of the examination, your surgeon will recommend appropriate surgical procedures for your unique condition and explain the possible outcomes, possible risks, and anesthesia options
- Address your queries and concerns — if you have any questions or concerns about the scheduled oral surgery procedure, this appointment gives you the chance to address these issues with your oral surgeon
- Arrange for Transportation
Since the anesthesia our dentist or oral surgeon will use to numb the incision site will take time to wear off, your oral surgeon will recommend arranging transportation means because it can affect your ability to drive cautiously back home.
- Make Necessary Arrangements for Your Recovery Period
While it depends on the complexity of the surgery, your dentist or oral surgeon could recommend that you take some time off from school or work to recuperate and recover. Therefore, it is paramount to plan ahead of time by notifying your teachers and employer to avoid unnecessary inconveniences.
- Follow the Recommended Pre-Operative Instructions
The oral surgeon could give instructions to help prepare for your scheduled oral surgery. For example, he/she could require you to do the following:
- Fast — Depending on the unique type of anesthesia the oral surgeon will use, he/she could require you to fast or avoid drinking or eating for a specific period before the scheduled surgical procedure
- Make medication adjustments — Your dentist or oral surgeon could require you to temporarily stop or adjust certain medications, like blood thinners, before the scheduled surgical procedure, because they could increase your risk of excessive bleeding
- Stop taking alcohol and smoking — Alcohol consumption and smoking or chewing tobacco products could interfere with the effectiveness of the anesthesia and delay the healing process after the procedure
- Prepare Your Home
Before your scheduled oral surgery, you should create a comfortable space for your post-treatment recovery. Ensure you stock up on soft foods, like yogurt, soups, and mashed potatoes, because chewing could be challenging during your first days after the treatment. Remember also to stock up enough fluids to keep you hydrated.
Setting up a recovery area with adequate pillows to help keep the head elevated is also important because it helps reduce swelling after your treatment.
- Practice Excellent Oral Hygiene
Practicing excellent oral hygiene before your scheduled oral surgery is vital because it helps lessen the risks of complications. Ensure you floss and brush your teeth thoroughly the morning or night before your scheduled surgical procedure.
- Prepare Yourself Mentally
Finally, mental preparation for your scheduled oral surgery procedure is also crucial. You can do that by practicing relaxation techniques, like meditation and deep breathing, especially if you have a dental phobia or anxiety.
What to Expect During Your Scheduled Oral Surgery Procedure
Depending on your unique oral or dental health condition, you can undergo oral surgery at a hospital or an outpatient surgical center. What you should expect during an oral surgery will depend on the specific type of procedure you require. However, here is a general overview of what to expect during your oral surgery procedure:
- Your oral surgeon will administer local anesthesia to numb the incision site around your mouth before the oral surgery. For a complex and lengthy procedure, the oral surgeon could also give sedatives to help you sleep and relax throughout the procedure
- The oral surgeon will make an incision inside the mouth or the affected region of the mouth. The specific location where the dentist will make the incision will depend on the affected region of the mouth
- The oral surgeon will perform the surgery using small, specialized dentistry equipment. Depending on your unique condition, the procedure could involve tooth extraction, implant placement, or reshaping of your gum tissues
- Once the oral surgeon completes the procedure, he/she will close the incision using stitches
How long your oral surgery procedure will take will depend on the severity of your condition and the specific type of treatment you need. For example, the extraction of one tooth will take about thirty (30) minutes, but a more complex procedure like gum grafting could take about one (1) to two (2) hours.
Possible Complications or Risks Associated With Oral Surgery
While oral surgery procedures are generally safe and effective, you are likely to experience some complications, which is a common issue with many surgeries. Common complications you are likely to experience include the following:
- Numbness
- Dry socket
- Infection
- Injury to the neighboring nerves, tissues, or teeth
- Sinus perforation
- Tooth fragments left behind
The above complications are possible after an oral surgery procedure. However, you can reduce the chances of developing them by seeking the services of a competent, licensed, and experienced oral surgeon.
You should immediately consult your dentist or oral surgeon when you experience persistent swelling, pain, or other bothersome symptoms after the procedure. Early intervention could help promote quick healing and prevent unnecessary complications.
Nonetheless, undergoing oral surgery is not an issue to fret about because the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Here are some of the benefits of undergoing oral surgery:
- Enhanced appearance
- Improved function
- Improved quality of life
- Enhanced oral health
Find a Calabasas Oral Surgeon Near Me
From addressing crowded or impacted teeth issues to treating periodontal disease, oral surgery procedures can provide a life-altering solution to your unique oral health issues. Whether considering an oral surgery procedure for yourself or a family member, understanding the process and benefits can assist you in making informed decisions and achieving the best results.
We invite you to call us at 818-878-7300 to discuss your oral health issue with our credible oral surgeons at Calabasas Smiles Advanced Dentistry.
