Often dentists and dental clinic are associated with cleaning, teeth whitening, or braces. Sometimes, these procedures would not be enough to set right the dental problem. It would require more intensive procedures like surgery to be involved. Most of the dental clinics would be practising different types of dental surgery according to their requirements of their clients.
When there are injuries to the mouth, face, neck area – and if these injuries cannot be set right by simple procedures then dental surgeons would step in to treat you. Surgery can be done for placing dental implants or treating cyst in your mouth. On the other hand, it would also be needed for other serious problems like removing the wisdom tooth, surgery of the cleft. Sometimes in cases where a client has oral cancer, dental surgery would also be required.
Types of dental surgery
The following are the most common dental surgery procedures.
Tooth extraction
Pulling out a tooth might not be thought of as something serious. But sometimes extraction of a tooth may need the dental surgeon’s expertise. This can happen in the case of wisdom teeth removal. For some, wisdom tooth would not erupt, they would be fixed in the jaw bone itself – called as the impacted teeth. When this happens, you would need to go through surgery under local anaesthesia to remove your wisdom tooth.
In this procedure, the jaw bone will have to be cut and then the impacted tooth will be removed. It has also been seen that not for just wisdom tooth, impacted teeth is seen for other molars as well. If the tooth is left in the same position without removing- they will affect the gums and cause infection in the gums and tooth decay can result. Surgery is the only option in these cases.
Implants
When there is tooth loss, replacing the tooth is thought of. Dental implants are one of the permanent procedure one can opt for. In this surgical procedure, the root of the tooth is placed in the jaw bone. It is then connected to a bridge which can be seen outside the jaw bone – the new tooth will be attached to this structure. If you have lost teeth due to accident or any other dental trauma this procedure will help replace teeth.
The replaced tooth will be similar to the natural tooth and no one would even know that it is artificial. Many people feel severely lacking in confidence when they lose teeth, especially if it is visible to others. Implants can help them regain their lost tooth both structurally and functionally.
Root canal treatment
This treatment is conducted routinely in any dental clinic under local anaesthesia. Teeth get infected if they are not cleaned properly. Bacteria will work on the food and infect the core of the tooth. This pulp area is seen inside of a tooth, there are nerve endings also in this area – they get infected and the whole tooth decays.
Removing the infection helps save the tooth. The root canal treatment does this exactly. Dentists will drill the tooth to gain entry into the pulp region. They will then remove the whole of the infected region and then fill it up to stop further infection. The tooth is sealed and then it gets fitted with a dental crown and the procedure is complete.
Jaw surgery
Misaligned jaws are one of the main reasons this surgery is conducted. Trauma to the oral region, incorrect bite problems, incorrect jaw position, and teeth grinding all these can lead to misalignment of jaws. To set this right, jaw surgery may be recommended. In this procedure, the alignment of the jaws can be corrected. After the surgery one can notice a change in the jaw structure and also that of the face. This is usually conducted by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
People experience different problems due to misaligned jaws – difficulty in chewing, breathing. Some complain of chronic headache and facial pain. Problems with speech, eating, closing and opening of jaws are all noticed due to this issue.
Others surgeries
There are dental surgeries conducted for various other issues.
Cleft palate is one such. Improper development of the mouth and nasal cavity is the reason for cleft palate. Surgery can repair this.
Fractures to the mouth/facial area are also corrected by means of surgery. Accident or dental trauma can affect the soft tissues of the oral region and break the facial bones. Usually one can see this type of fractures in those who engage in contact sports.
Abnormal growth seen in the face/mouth area is removed using surgery. After the surgery, they are usually sent for biopsy for further evaluation.
Looking at the various surgery procedures conducted, one can understand the immense benefits that can be credited to dental surgery. Dental surgeries are complex procedures conducted under anaesthesia. So it is important that if you have been suggested to opt for surgery, you understand the process completely. Surgeons will be happy to explain the process to you in detail. Ask as many questions as you want, till you are completely clear about what is going to happen.
Taking care after surgery is also very important for proper and easy recovery. The dental team will advise you on the best way to do this. Just follow their instructions and you will bounce back in no time.
