What is Tooth Extraction?

Tooth extraction involves removing a tooth from its socket in the bone. A dentist or oral surgeon performs this procedure, usually under local anesthesia to ensure your comfort.

Reasons for Tooth Extraction

Several factors might lead to a recommendation for tooth extraction:

1. Severe Tooth Decay: When a tooth decays extensively and a filling or crown cannot repair it.
2. Infection: If an infection spreads to the tooth and root canal treatment cannot address it.
3. Orthodontic Treatment: To create space for braces or other orthodontic devices in cases of overcrowding.
4. Periodontal Disease: Advanced gum disease that severely damages the supporting bone and structures.
5. Impacted Teeth: Teeth, especially wisdom teeth, that do not erupt properly and may cause complications.
6. Trauma: Teeth damaged beyond repair due to injury.

The Tooth Extraction Procedure

The dentist administers a local anesthetic to numb the area. Then, they use specialized instruments to loosen and remove the tooth from the socket. If the tooth is difficult to extract, the dentist may break it into smaller pieces for easier removal.

Aftercare Tips

Proper aftercare is crucial for a smooth recovery. Follow these tips to help ensure healing:

• Follow Instructions: Adhere to your dentist’s post-operative care instructions.
• Manage Pain: Use over-the-counter pain relievers as recommended.
• Avoid Certain Foods: Stick to soft foods and avoid chewing on the extraction site.
• Maintain Oral Hygiene: Gently brush your teeth and rinse with salt water to keep the area clean.

Potential Complications

While tooth extraction is generally safe, you might face some potential complications, including:

• Dry Socket: This occurs when the blood clot at the extraction site becomes dislodged.
• Infection: If an infection develops at the extraction site, you may need additional treatment.

Tooth Replacement Options

If you extract a tooth, consider replacement options to restore function and appearance:

• Dental Implants: These offer a natural-looking solution for replacing a missing tooth.
• Dental Bridges: Fixed appliances that replace one or more missing teeth.
• Dentures: Removable appliances that can replace multiple missing teeth.

Conclusion

Tooth extraction sometimes becomes necessary to maintain overall oral health. Understanding the procedure, reasons for extraction, and aftercare can help ensure a smooth and successful recovery. If you have any concerns about it or need to discuss potential replacement options, consult with your dentist for personalized advice.

For more information on dental procedures and oral health , tooth topics, visit udenz.io and stay updated with our latest posts!

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What is Restorative Dentistry?

Restorative dentistry focuses on repairing and restoring damaged or missing teeth. It aims to restore optimal function and health to your mouth. Common restorative procedures include:

1. Dental Fillings: Used to treat cavities and prevent further decay. Modern fillings are often made from composite resins that blend seamlessly with your natural teeth.
2. Crowns: These are placed over a tooth that is too damaged for a filling. Crowns provide strength and protect the tooth from further damage.
3. Bridges: A bridge replaces one or more missing teeth by anchoring a false tooth to adjacent teeth or implants.
4. Dentures: Removable appliances designed to replace missing teeth and restore functionality and aesthetics.
5. Implants: Titanium posts surgically placed into the jawbone to serve as a foundation for replacement teeth. They offer a durable and long-lasting solution.

What is Esthetic Dentistry?

Esthetic dentistry, also known as cosmetic dentistry, focuses on improving the appearance of your teeth, gums, and smile. It enhances the overall look of your smile while maintaining functionality. Popular esthetic procedures include:

1. Teeth Whitening: A popular treatment that brightens teeth and removes stains or discoloration, offering a more radiant smile.
2. Veneers: Thin, custom-made shells of porcelain or composite resin that cover the front surface of teeth to correct imperfections such as gaps, chips, or discoloration.
3. Bonding: A procedure where a tooth-colored resin is applied to repair minor imperfections, such as cracks or chips, and improve the appearance of the teeth.
4. Invisalign: Clear aligners used to straighten teeth discreetly, offering a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing alternative to traditional metal braces.
5. Gum Contouring: A procedure to reshape the gums and create a more balanced and attractive gum line.

Combining Restorative and Esthetic Dentistry

The synergy between restorative and esthetic dentistry allows for comprehensive treatment plans that address both function and appearance. For instance, a patient with a damaged tooth might receive a crown that not only restores its strength but also enhances its appearance to blend seamlessly with surrounding teeth.

Why Choose Restorative and Esthetic Dentistry?

• Improved Functionality: Restorative procedures ensure that your teeth function properly, allowing you to eat, speak, and smile with confidence.
• Enhanced Appearance: Esthetic treatments can transform your smile, boosting your self-esteem and overall appearance.
• Long-Term Benefits: Many restorative and esthetic treatments are durable and provide long-lasting results, making them a worthwhile investment in your oral health.

Conclusion

Restorative and esthetic dentistry offer valuable solutions for maintaining and enhancing your smile. By addressing both functional and aesthetic concerns, these treatments can help you achieve optimal oral health and a beautiful, confident smile. If you’re considering any of these procedures, consult with a qualified dental professional to explore your options and create a personalized treatment plan.

Call to Action

Ready to transform your smile? Visit our website for more insights into restorative and esthetic dentistry. Stay tuned for more updates and tips on how to achieve and maintain a perfect smile!

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What Are Temporary Dentures?

Temporary dentures, also referred to as immediate Prosthetics, are provisional dental appliances provided right after tooth extraction. They help maintain both your smile and functionality while your gums heal.

Their Benefits

Short-Term Solutions offer immediate aesthetic benefits, preserving your smile right after tooth removal. Additionally, they enhance functionality by allowing you to eat and speak more comfortably during the healing process. Moreover, they provide protection for your gums by shielding the extraction site and reducing swelling. Lastly, these dentures are adjustable, adapting to changes in your gum shape as you heal.

How to Care for Temporary Dentures

To keep your interim dentures in optimal condition, clean them regularly using a soft toothbrush and denture cleaner to prevent plaque buildup. Furthermore, handle them with care to avoid damage. Regular check-ups with your dentist are essential for adjustments and ensuring a proper fit.

Adjusting to Temporary Dentures

At first, you might experience some adjustment as you get used to the feel and function of your new dentures. To ease this transition, start with soft foods and gradually introduce harder textures. Additionally, practicing speaking by reading aloud can help improve your speech clarity.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, they play a crucial role in the dental restoration process, offering comfort and confidence while you await permanent solutions. By following your dentist’s advice and properly caring for your dentures, you can achieve the best results.

Stay Informed

For more updates on dental health and practical tips, stay tuned with our daily blogs.

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• Veneers may be more aesthetically pleasing than crowns in the long run, because they don’t show a gum margin after several years, as crowns sometimes do.
• Some veneers don’t require a lot of trimming, so more of your healthy natural tooth remains.
• Teeth with veneers have minimal movement.

Veneer cons

• Veneers leave more areas of your tooth exposed to new decay.
• Composite veneers cost less, but may only last 5–7 years. Other materials last longer but may have to be replaced.
• Veneers aren’t reversible.
• Veneers may not be covered by dental insurance.

Crown pros

• All of the tooth is covered, so your tooth is more protected from decay.
• Porcelain crowns look and feel just like your natural teeth.
• Crowns are relatively permanent and don’t have to be removed for cleaning as dentures do.
• Dental insurance may cover a portion of the cost of a crown.

Crown cons

• More of your natural tooth is removed to make room for the crown.
• Your crowned tooth may be more sensitive to heat and cold initially and you may experience gum pain. If sensitivity increases, schedule a follow-up visit.
• Porcelain is fragile and can be damaged over time.
• Porcelain fused to a metal alloy (PFM) crown shows a thin dark line between your natural tooth and the crown.

Questions to ask your dentist

You’ll want to know at the outset how much your crown or veneer is going to cost, and how much, if anything, your insurance will pay toward the cost. You’ll also want to know about your dentist’s experience with both procedures.

The bottom line

Both veneers and crowns can improve your smile and the function of your teeth. Both are costly procedures, especially when more than one tooth is involved. Veneers are used when you want cosmetic improvement, like covering crooked or chipped teeth, especially your front teeth.

Crowns are used when the tooth has a lot of decay or is broken or needs a root canal. Crowns may also be more appropriate when you need to brace adjoining teeth. Getting regular dental checkups and practicing good dental hygiene are vital for maintaining your veneer or crown and the rest of your teeth.

Read / How to Whiten Your Teeth.

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Mouthguards can buffer damage to the teeth, the brackets, and/or other fixed appliances from blows and physical contact. Mouthguards can also act as a barrier between teeth/braces and the cheeks, between the lips and tongue, thereby limiting the risk of soft tissue damage.

The ideal mouthguard also:

• Allows speaking and does not limit breathing.
• Stays firmly in place during action.
• Provides a high degree of comfort and fit.
• Is durable and easy to clean.
• Is resilient, tear-resistant, odorless, and tasteless.

Generally, a mouthguard only covers the upper teeth. However, dentists may suggest that athletes with a protruding jaw or those who wear braces or other dental appliances (such as retainers, bridgework or have implant-supported dentures) on their lower jaw wear a mouth guard on their lower teeth.

Who Should Wear a Mouth Guard?

Currently, the U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association requires the use of mouthguards only for ice hockey, lacrosse, field hockey and football. However, the American Dental Association recommends the use of a mouth guard for 29 sports/exercise activities. These include the four activities already mentioned, plus acrobatics, basketball, boxing, discus throwing, gymnastics, handball, martial arts, racquetball, rugby, shot putting, skateboarding, skiing, skydiving, soccer, squash, surfing, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting and wrestling. Essentially, whenever there’s a chance of contact with other players or hard surfaces, wearing a mouth guard makes sense.

For professional advice about how to protect your teeth during athletic activities, talk to your dentist or orthodontist about selecting a mouthguard that will provide the best protection for your particular needs.

Read / Why Some Kids Get Cavities Even If They Brush Their Teeth 

Advantages

Wearing a mouthguard is an important precaution for athletes of all ages and abilities, helping to protect against chipped or broken teeth, root and bone damage, and tooth loss. Mouth guards also safeguard against serious injuries such as jaw fracture, cerebral hemorrhage, concussions, and neck injuries by helping to avoid situations where the lower jaw jams into the upper jaw. By keeping soft tissue in the oral cavity away from the teeth, mouth guards help prevent cutting and bruising of the lips, tongue and cheeks, especially for athletes who wear orthodontic appliances.

Why People Don’t Wear Mouth Guards

Since it is not mandatory for athletes – amateur or professional – to wear mouthguards, many do not because of fit, comfort, image (the notion that it’s not “cool” to wear mouthguards) and complaints of impaired speaking. Not realizing the real safety value of mouth guards, some coaches do not reinforce the advantages of wearing them to their athletes, and neither do some parents, who are sometimes not fully aware of the level of contact and potential for serious dental injuries involved in their children’s sports.

Gender bias may also play a role, since there are people who mistakenly think that female athletes are less aggressive, less at-risk of injury and, therefore, less likely to need a mouth guard. Although mouth guards come in various price ranges, cost may be another consideration limiting their use, especially for custom-fitted mouthguards. The “hassle” factor – remembering to wear them, properly caring for them and dealing with the inconvenience of impaired breathing or speech – also contributes to non-use.

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What is maxillofacial surgery?

Maxillofacial surgery is a special type of dentistry. It involves operations to correct diseases, injuries and defects in your face, jaw or mouth. Maxillofacial surgeons are advanced specialists who diagnose and treat problems with:

• Bones and tissues of your jaw and lower face (maxillofacial area).
• Roof of your mouth (palate).
• Teeth.

Why is maxillofacial surgery done?

Maxillofacial surgery is performed to improve jaw function and Relieve pain, it can address a wide variety of dental problems and conditions, such as:

• Diagnosing reasons for chronic dental pain.
• Preparing the mouth for dental implants and prostheses (such as dentures).
• Placing dental implants.
• Removing (extracting) impacted teeth.
• Treat oral diseases.

Procedures can also treat jaw problems, such as:

• Bone grafting, or transplanting bone from another area of the body to replace bone that’s missing in your jaw.
• Reconstructing your jaw to correct an abnormal bite.
• Treating temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders that affect the area where your lower jaw attaches to your skull.
• Treating injuries related to trauma to your face, jaw and mouth.

Other reasons to perform maxillofacial surgery include:

• Correcting congenital (present at birth) abnormalities such as cleft lip and palate.
• Diagnosing and treating cysts, tumors, cancer, and other growths in your head and neck.
• Diagnosing reasons for chronic facial pain.
• Treating facial trauma (injury), such as facial fractures or damaged maxillofacial tissue.

What’s the difference between oral surgery and maxillofacial surgery?

Maxillofacial surgeons are oral surgeons are the same thing. Training involves oral and maxillofacial surgery but some surgeons limit their practice to oral surgery and office-based procedures while others prefer more hospital-based procedures.

What happens before maxillofacial surgery?

If you need maxillofacial surgery, your healthcare provider (primary care provider or dentist) will refer you to a specialist. The maxillofacial surgeon will meet with you for a consultation to:

• Ask about your symptoms, medical history, current medications and more.
• Examine your oral cavity and surrounding areas.
• Order tests as needed, such as dental X-rays or 3D scans to get detailed images of the maxillofacial structures.
• Diagnose the condition and recommend surgery or other treatment.

What happens during maxillofacial surgery?

Maxillofacial surgery varies greatly depending on the problem and procedure. Some surgeries can be done in an outpatient setting, and you can go home the same day. Other treatment plans involve multiple surgeries to achieve the desired results.

Maxillofacial surgeons are trained and authorized to deliver anesthesia to prevent pain or put you to sleep. Your healthcare team will talk to you about whether you’ll need anesthesia and what type is best for you.

Toward the end of the procedure, your surgeon may use stitches to close any surgical wounds. Your surgeon also may place packing in your mouth to protect your teeth or the wound and to absorb fluids such as blood and pus.

Related / All you Need to Know About Tooth Extraction Recovery 

What happens after maxillofacial surgery?

After the surgery, your healthcare team will move you to a recovery room so you can wake up from the anesthesia. You may have some discomfort or pain as the medication wears off. You’ll also probably experience:

• Bleeding.
• Bruising.
• Limited use of the jaw and teeth.
• Swelling.

Your surgical team will talk to you about how the surgery went when you can go home, and how to take care of yourself during recovery. If you receive anesthesia, you should have someone drive you home.

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Tooth extraction recovery depends on the complexity of your case. However, most people feel back to normal in just a few days. While you’ll be able to return to routine activities within 48 to 72 hours, it usually takes the jawbone several weeks to heal completely. Therefore, if you’re planning on replacing the tooth with a dental implant, you’ll probably need to wait a few months to allow for full recovery.

Tooth extraction aftercare

After your extraction, your dentist will give you a detailed list of post-surgical instructions. Here are some general guidelines for a speedy tooth extraction recovery:

• Keep the extraction site clean. Gently rinse the area with an antimicrobial mouthwash two to three times a day. Avoid brushing directly over your extraction site until your dentist tells you it’s safe to do so. Brush and floss all other areas normally.
• Take all medications as directed. Your dentist may prescribe antibiotics and pain relievers. It’s important to take all of these medications exactly as directed. You can also take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
• Avoid strenuous activity for at least two days. An elevated heart rate can cause increased post-operative bleeding and discomfort. Skip the gym for the first 48 to 72 hours. Ask your dentist when it’s safe to resume normal routines.

What can I eat after a tooth extraction?

Avoid hard and crunchy foods for the first few days. Stock your fridge and pantry with soft foods like rice, pasta, eggs, yogurt and applesauce. You’ll also want to avoid drinking through straws, as this can dislodge blood clots and cause dry sockets.

When can I go back to work or school?

Most people are able to return to work or school within a day or two. If you have a job that requires a lot of lifting or physical labor, you may need to take a few more days off work.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Any time you develop a toothache or dental pain, it’s important to schedule a visit with your dentist. They can help determine the cause and design a personalized treatment plan.

If you’ve already had a tooth extraction, call your dentist if you develop a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher, drainage (pus) around the extraction site, or severe pain that doesn’t improve with medication.

Related / Do You Need Oral Surgery? 

Final Thoughts

It’s never fun hearing that you need to have a tooth pulled. But sometimes, a tooth extraction is the best way to eliminate infection and get you back on track to a healthy smile and life. If your dentist recommends an extraction, be sure to discuss replacement options with them, too. Dental restorations like dental implants, dental bridges, or partial dentures can restore appearance, function, and overall oral health.

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1. Deep Cleaning

You probably know all about the importance of brushing your teeth twice a day (especially after meals), flossing once a day, and going in for a dental cleaning every six months. However, a dental cleaning can help take your dental care to the next level and provide you with an added boost of self-confidence. A deep cleaning treatment goes above and beyond to remove any buildup of plaque and tartar on your teeth. As a result, you can reduce your risk of gum inflammation and improve your gum health.

Related / Regular Dental Cleaning vs Deep Cleaning: What is the Difference? 

2. Invisalign

If your teeth are crooked or aren’t properly spaced, it can make you feel less comfortable when smiling. Maybe you put off getting braces when you were younger because you didn’t want to deal with a metal mouth. But today, there are clear aligners that can be removed when you want to eat and are virtually invisible. Many working professionals select Invisalign to help straighten teeth or correct misalignments. Plus, the more you smile, the better it is for your professional image.

3. Teeth Whitening

As we get older, we are more prone to developing stains on our teeth. Coffee and soda consumption and even eating certain colored berries can stain our teeth. And when our teeth are yellowed or any color other than a pearly white, we are less likely to want to flash a smile. However, in-office and professionally designed at-home teeth whitening treatments are perhaps the best ways to improve your smile quickly.

4. Dental Implants

Adults who have lost a permanent tooth or multiple teeth often elect to get dentures to help replace them. But dentures aren’t always the most comfortable. Dentures can slip when you are eating or speaking, and they require a lot of maintenance. For those looking for a more permanent solution, dental implants are a great way to replace missing teeth with implanted teeth that look and feel just like the real deal. There are many reasons to consider dental implants, so after searching for and finding a “cosmetic dentist near me,” be sure to find out if you are a candidate.

5. Dental Crowns

If you have damaged or decayed teeth, dental crowns might be an excellent solution for you and another great way to improve your smile and boost your self-confidence. Dental crowns are placed over your damaged teeth to protect them from worsening and restore the strength and function of your bite. In the past, patients often had complaints about dental crowns. Today’s crowns, however, look natural and are not uncomfortable like the crowns way back when. 

6. Dental Veneers

Many celebrities have elected to go with dental veneers to help improve their smiles. These thin porcelain sheaths sit on the front of your teeth. Veneers are most commonly used to treat broken or chipped teeth and severe or uneven tooth coloring that can’t be corrected with professional whitening treatments. Dental veneers are also used to fill gaps where you might have extra space between your teeth.

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What are dental X-rays?

Dental X-rays (radiographs) are internal images of your teeth and jaws. Dentists use X-rays to examine structures they can’t see during a routine checkup, like your jawbone, nerves, sinuses, and teeth roots.

How do dental X-rays work?

Like X-rays taken in other parts of your body, dental X-rays use electromagnetic radiation to capture images of your mouth. The radiation beam passes through your soft tissues and creates images of your teeth and bones.

What can dental X-rays detect?

Dental X-rays help your dentist diagnose a wide range of oral health issues.

Dental X-rays show:

• Cavities, especially small areas of decay between teeth.
• Decay beneath existing fillings.
• Bone loss in your jaw
• Areas of infection.
• The position of unerupted or impacted teeth.
• Abscessed teeth (infection at the root of your tooth or between your gums and your tooth).
• Cysts and some types of tumors.
• Dentists also use X-rays to help determine your eligibility for treatments like dental implants, braces, or dentures. X-rays help your dentist check healing after certain procedures, too, such as dental bone grafts and root canal therapy.

How are dental X-rays done?

Before taking dental X-rays, a technician will place a lead apron over your chest and may wrap a thyroid collar around your neck. This helps protect you from excess radiation.

When it’s time to take the X-rays, you’ll either sit in a chair or stand in front of an X-ray machine. A technician will place the film or sensor, and then press a button to take the X-ray image. It’s important to hold as still as possible during this process.

What are the different types of dental X-rays?

There are two main types of dental X-rays:

1. Intraoral: The film or sensor is inside your mouth.
2. Extraoral: The film or sensor is outside your mouth.

Intraoral X-rays

There are different types of intraoral X-rays:

Bitewing X-rays

Bitewings show the upper and lower teeth in one area of your mouth. These dental X-rays help your dentist detect decay between your teeth or any changes that occur just below your gum line.

Bitewing X-rays don’t usually show the roots of your teeth.

Periapical X-rays

A periapical X-ray shows your entire tooth, from the crown to the root tip. This type of X-ray helps your dentist detect decay, gum disease, bone loss and any other abnormalities of your tooth or surrounding bone.

Occlusal X-rays

Occlusal X-rays help your dentist detect any issues in the floor or roof of your mouth. These images are helpful when diagnosing fractured or impacted teeth or evaluating the roots of your front teeth. Occlusal images can also help identify cysts, abscesses, and jaw fractures. Pediatric dentists may use occlusal X-rays to evaluate developing teeth.

Extraoral X-rays

There are several types of extraoral X-rays:

Panoramic X-rays

A panoramic dental X-ray shows all of the structures in your mouth on a single image, including your upper and lower teeth, jaw joints, nerves, sinuses, and supporting bone.

A panoramic X-ray allows your dentist to get an overview of any existing oral health issues.

Cephalometric X-rays

A cephalometric X-ray shows your entire head from the side. It shows your dentist the location of your teeth in relation to your jaw.

Orthodontists (dentists who specialize in correcting bites) often use cephalometric X-rays to plan treatment.

Cone beam CT scan

Dentists use a computed tomography (CT) scans to capture 3D dental X-rays of your teeth, jaws, joints, nerves and sinuses. These X-rays can also detect tumors or facial fractures.

Surgeons often use dental CT scans to check the height, width, and location of your jawbone before dental implant placement.

Are dental X-rays safe?

The radiation risk from a dental X-ray is quite small. In fact, the amount of radiation you get from a full set of dental X-rays is comparable to the amount of radiation you absorb from things like:

• TVs, smartphones, and computers.
• Building materials like ceramic floor tiles and granite countertops.
• Background radiation from the sun, stars, and the Earth itself.

In extremely large doses, however, dental X-rays can be harmful and may even increase your cancer risk. That’s why you shouldn’t have X-rays more often than necessary. Your healthcare provider can help you weigh the risks vs. benefits of dental X-rays.

How often should I get dental X-rays?

Most people with healthy teeth and gums should have dental X-rays taken once every six to 18 months. But if you have gum disease, recurring decay or other time-sensitive oral health issues, you may need more frequent X-rays.

Can I refuse dental X-rays?

As an individual, you have the right to refuse dental X-rays. However, it’s important to understand that most dentists won’t provide services without them.

If you’re concerned about radiation exposure, talk with your dentist. They can help you weigh the pros and cons of getting dental X-rays.

Can a dental X-ray show cancer?

Dental X-rays can show some types of oral cancer — particularly cancer that either started in or spread to your jaw. But X-rays can’t detect all types of mouth cancer. That’s why routine oral cancer screenings are so important.

Should I have dental X-rays while pregnant?

Generally speaking, it’s safe to have X-rays of your teeth while pregnant or breastfeeding (chestfeeding). In fact, both the American Dental Association and the American Pregnancy Association have stated that dental X-rays pose little to no risk to a fetus. Even so, most dentists avoid taking X-rays during pregnancy unless it’s absolutely necessary

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Talk to Your Dentist First

If you have problems with your teeth, gums, or jaws, go see your dentist, even if the pain is in the area around your mouth or face.

If it’s an emergency and a dentist isn’t available, head to an urgent care clinic rather than the ER. It’s best, though, to try to avoid both if possible. They will only administer medication for the symptoms and tell you to see a dentist. They may also charge three to four times what it may cost to solve the problem. Your dentist can handle most oral problems. If they think you need an oral surgeon, they’ll recommend one.

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

If your dentist recommends maxillofacial surgery, they are talking about a specialty of dentistry that relates to your face and jaws. It’s surgery that treats disease and injuries of the areas around your mouth.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons have extra training and education beyond what’s expected for a dentist. Some get a medical degree (an MD) along with their oral surgery diplomas. They put in at least 4 years of training in a hospital-based surgical program alongside medical residents in many different specialties, including anesthesia. That includes various types of IV sedation, including “twilight sleep” and general anesthesia, where you’re unconscious and can’t feel any pain. It can also include local anesthesia, where only a small area of your body is numbed for your procedure.

An oral surgeon can help you out of several situations

Impacted teeth

This mostly happens with wisdom teeth, also called third molars. But it can happen in other places in your mouth, too.

Sometimes these teeth emerge from the gum line and the jaw is large enough to allow room for them, but most of the time, this is not the case. When the teeth come through the gums for the first time, it might be crowded, so they either don’t come out at all or don’t come out completely. This can cause sore gums and infections of the gum tissue surrounding the wisdom teeth. In addition, impacted wisdom teeth can cause permanent damage to nearby teeth, gums, and bone and can sometimes lead to the formation of cysts or tumors that can destroy sections of the jaw.

Your dentist or surgeon might recommend you get your wisdom teeth pulled before they present any problems. But it’s not just wisdom teeth that sometimes become impacted and need to be removed. Other teeth, such as the cuspids and the bicuspids, can become impacted and can cause the same types of problems.

Jaw-joint issues

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw to your skull. It’s that little “hinge” right in front of the ears. It can cause problems like pain in your jaw, jaw-popping, stiffness, and headaches. Most people with TMJ disorders can be successfully treated with a combination of oral medications, physical therapy, and splints. But joint surgery is an option for advanced cases and when the diagnosis indicates a specific problem in the joint.

Oral devices, pain medication, and ice packs can help. However people with recurring problems may need oral surgery.

Overbite/underbite

If your jaw or teeth aren’t aligned properly, your dentist may recommend orthognathic surgery. It’s an option for people with excessive overbites or underbites, trouble chewing or swallowing, certain birth defects, or sleep apnea. In some people, the upper and lower jaws fail to grow properly. This can cause difficulty in speaking, eating, swallowing, and breathing. While some of these problems — like improper teeth alignment — can be corrected with braces and other orthodontic appliances, more serious problems require oral surgery to move all or part of the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both, into a new position that is more balanced, functional, and healthy. Find more information on teeth straightening surgery with extreme overbites and underbites.

Often, an orthodontist can correct your teeth if they don’t line up. But if it’s caused by your jaw, some time with an oral surgeon might be necessary. Learn more about ways to straighten teeth without braces.

Implants

You can replace a missing tooth with a dental implant. The surgeon embeds a titanium implant into your jaw, then your dentist attaches a crown. Dental implants are an option for tooth loss due to an accident or infection or as an alternative to bridges and dentures. Suitable candidates for dental implants need to have an adequate bone level and density, must not be prone to infection, and must be willing to maintain good oral hygiene practices.

Improve fit of dentures

For first-time denture wearers, oral surgery can be done to correct any irregularities of the jaws prior to creating the dentures to ensure a better fit. Oral surgery can also help long-term denture wearers. Supporting bone often deteriorates over time, resulting in dentures that no longer fit properly. In severe cases, an oral surgeon can add a bone graft to areas where little bone remains.

Sleep and breathing issues

This covers things like snoring and sleep apnea, a condition that causes you to stop breathing for brief periods during sleep. A doctor with special training may recommend a CPAP machine or other appliance that can open your airway. They may also want you to have surgery, and you’d go to an oral surgeon.

The type of surgery you’d have would depend on what’s blocking your breathing. It could be that your airway just needs to be made bigger or it could mean that a specific part of your mouth or nasal passages needs to be adjusted. Surgical procedures involve removing the soft tissues of the oropharynx (an area in the back portion of the mouth) or the lower jaw. Laser surgery is a newer treatment option.

You could have a procedure in a doctor’s office and go home the same day. If the surgery you need is a bit more involved, you may have to spend a few days in the hospital and maybe have your jaw wired shut.

Cancer treatment

Oral surgeons also treat cancers, not just of the mouth, but also of the head and neck, like of the salivary glands, sinuses, throat, larynx, and lips.

Oral surgeons can also help with:

• Nerve repair
• Cleft lips and cleft palate surgery
• Removal of lesions on the face or inside the mouth
• Facial injury repair
• Biopsy
• Facial infections

If you have problems with your teeth or gums, talk with your dentist. They might be able to fix it. If not, an oral surgeon can give you the relief you’re searching for.

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