The Complete Guide to Oral Surgery and What You Can Expect?

Tooth loss, impacted teeth, and swollen jaw are potentially serious dental problems that, if left untreated, can cause severe complications. After an assessment, a dentist can recommend oral surgeons near me to address these issues.

What is Oral Surgery?

Oral surgery is a branch of dentistry that deals with the oral cavity. It can be a standalone specialty or it can be performed in tandem with other dental specialties such as orthodontics or periodontology.

Oral surgery is done for restoring function, appearance, and health of the mouth and jaws. It includes operations used to fix cleft lip, cleft palate, dental bone grafting, extracts teeth, reduces ulcerative lesions in the mouth or throat, removes bone tumors.

These oral surgical procedures are done by an oral or maxillofacial surgeon, who is trained on the same.

When is Oral Surgery Recommended?

Oral surgery in Oak Lawn, IL, is done only when necessary. These procedures are most recommended if you have impacted, missing teeth and jaw problems, sleep apnea, and infections.

What Procedures Are Done?

The type of oral surgery includes:

1. Wisdom teeth extraction

Wisdom teeth are the third set of teeth that erupt in humans. They tend to erupt after the age of 16 or 17 and can cause significant pain. They can also grow into gum tissue if not extracted.

To remove wisdom teeth, a dentist 60453 will need to take x-rays first and then decide on whether extractions should be done.

An extraction is usually pretty easy for most people, but it’s not always as easy as it sounds. This is because some natural reactions caused by anesthesia may occur during the process, including vomiting and choking on saliva or vomit.

2. Dental implant

Dental implants are artificial anchors that are surgically inserted into the jaw to replace missing teeth. They can hold replacement teeth in place. There are various types of dental implants in Oak Lawn, and a dentist near me will choose the most suitable based on the condition of your bone density.

These metal posts are drilled into the jaw bone, and once they fuse to the bone, the dental crowns are fixed to complete the process.

3. Root canal therapy

Root canal therapy is a common dental treatment where the dentist removes the pulp, which is the soft tissue at the center of your tooth. The dentist then cleans and stabilizes the area before filling it in to replace it with a healthy artificial tooth root.

Root canal therapy can be painful and might require an anesthetic, but most people find that it’s well worth it for long-lasting teeth.

It is important to note that this type of treatment is not meant for addressing severe cavities. If the teeth are severely damaged, the dentist will recommend a tooth extraction instead.

4. Bone and Gum Grafting

Bone and gum grafting is a surgical procedure that involves attaching a piece of bone or gums from another area where they are healthy on the jaw. The bone or gums can be attached through surgery which will help to prevent further damage to the jaw.

Gum grafting is done you have receding gums that are exposing the root of the teeth. The grafting of the bone is often recommended when you need dental implants, and you lack the required bone support.

5.Maxillofacial surgery

Maxillofacial surgery is a surgical procedure done on the face, jaws, and underlying structures of the skull. It is performed by a maxillofacial surgeon, often in conjunction with other specialist surgeons.

Maxillofacial surgery may be used to perform procedures, such as cleft lip repair, extractions of wisdom teeth, jawbone grafting for facial reconstruction following injury or tumor resection of salivary gland tumors, and more.

What Can You Expect After the Oral Surgery?

Regardless of the oral surgical procedure done, you will experience discomfort and pain. You may also have swelling, soreness, and bleeding of the gums for a couple of hours. The dentist will give you medication to prevent infection and ease the pain. However, you need to take the necessary precaution to ease the pain and hasten the healing process.

Schedule an Appointment

Visit Forrest Tower DDS for more information about oral surgery and the type of procedures we offer dentist 60453.