Why You May Need Oral Surgery
Posted on: 1 August 2019
Oral surgery involves surgery of the mouth, teeth, jaw, face, and associated tissues. Some forms of oral surgery are relatively routine and can be performed by any dentist. However, complicated oral surgery requires a dentist with further training in oral and maxillofacial surgery. For example, a dental implant is a routine surgery, while a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery is more complicated. Below are some of the reasons you might need oral surgery.
Surgical Tooth Extraction
For standard tooth extractions, the dentist just uses forceps to grasp and pull out the tooth. However, surgical intervention may be necessary in cases of complicated extractions. For example, you probably need a surgical tooth extraction if you have an impacted tooth, if your tooth is fragile or broken, or if your jawbone is dense and inelastic. In such a case, the dentist has to cut through your gum and jawbone to dig out the tooth tissues.
Dental Implant
A dental implant is an oral surgery for replacing a damaged, lost, or extracted natural tooth with an artificial tooth. The dentist has to cut through your gum, drill a hole into your jawbone, and insert the dental implant. If you don't have adequate jawbone density, then you may need a bone graft (either with organic bone or artificial bone) to bulk up your jawbone first.
TMJ Disorders
The temporomandibular joint, which you have on each side of your face, connects the jawbone to the skull. There are many disorders that affect the TMJ. TMJ disorders have several causes, some of which involve jawbone problems or inflammation of the joint. Several treatments for the procedure don't involve surgery, but you may need surgery in extreme cases.
Extreme Malocclusion
Malocclusion refers to a range of dental conditions characterized by irregular contact between the upper and lower teeth. Examples of malocclusion include open bites, underbites, and overbites, among others. Malocclusion has several causes, including prolonged thumb sucking, jaw problems, and teeth overcrowding.
Orthodontic treatment via dental braces is a common way of dealing with malocclusion. For example, you may need oral surgery to correct extreme malocclusion caused by a misaligned jaw. In this case, the surgery is necessary to correct the jaw alignment.
Oral Cancer
Oral cancer can affect various parts of the oral cavity and associated tissues such as the cheeks, tongue, lips, and sinuses, among other parts. Oral cancer treatment is roughly similar to treatments for other forms of cancer. The treatments include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. The surgery is needed to get rid of the cancerous tissues.
For more information, speak to your dentist.
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