From routine extractions to reconstructive jaw surgery, oral procedures address issues beyond cosmetic concerns. A qualified surgeon works with other specialists according to each patient’s needs through individual treatment plans. This expansive field demands a lot of education and experience managing diverse cases. We will explore the scope of oral surgery through procedures commonly performed to restore form and function for your teeth.
One thing to keep in mind here is that to get the best possible treatment, you need to find oral surgeons who are capable of offering the best oral treatments out there. We at Sunny Isles Dental are proud to offer the highest level of service quality for all our patients.
Whether you want to get a wisdom tooth removed or get dental implants for missing teeth and other oral surgery services, we offer the best oral dental surgeon services you can find. So, be sure to get in touch with us for your needs. Now, let us dive right into what an oral surgeon can do and how emergency oral surgeon services can help you get reconstructive surgery and even prevent future dental emergencies.
Understanding Oral Surgery
Beyond general dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgeons hold added schooling that allows them to perform complex surgeries. Their specialty encompasses treating hard and soft tissues in the mouth and facial region. Conditions addressed range from dental infections to sleep apnea, compromised smiles to trauma. Working together by combining services like orthodontics and maxillofacial surgery results in life-changing outcomes.
Oral surgeons also undergo hospital training, learning surgery, trauma management and treating conditions like jaw pathology, facial pain, or repairing defects due to injury or disease. Their skills involve reconstructive procedures using grafts of facial bone or soft tissue.
Treating patients on time by the best oral surgeon leads to the best results through prioritizing oral health. Oral surgeons also diagnose and treat conditions like oral cancer or lesions, treat facial fractures, cleft lip, and palate abnormalities, as well as dental implant surgery.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Most adults possess four wisdom (third molar) teeth emerging in their late teens. However, lack of space often leads to partial or complete impaction under the gums/gumline, potentially resulting in pain/infections. Some teeth can also misalign and cause decay in surrounding teeth. Left alone, they crowd the dental arch and affect adjacent teeth.
Wisdom tooth removal can eliminate future issues since flossing access around hard-to-reach areas becomes challenging over time. Extractions usually proceed as day surgery on an outpatient basis. An oral surgeon numbs the area using local anesthetic before gently extracting the tooth using surgical tools and forceps or elevators.
Recovery involves a few days of minimal discomfort and managing pain with ibuprofen. Swelling peaks after 48 hours before gradually subsiding within 5-7 days. Patients must avoid strenuous exercise and biting/chewing on extraction sites as they heal after getting wisdom teeth removed.
Other Tooth Extractions
General tooth extraction addresses severe untreated cavities destroying tooth structure. It may become the sole option where restorations prove impractical financially or due to limited remaining healthy material in the gum line.
Dental trauma/injuries can also make it necessary to remove compromised teeth for dental health. Crowded teeth require extraction to allow orthodontic treatment that then helps straighten and align the surrounding teeth. Tooth mobility from periodontal disease can also require removing healthy teeth.
Pre-operative antibiotics and local anesthetic are also a part of the brief and virtually painless surgery patients go through, and it is quite similar to wisdom teeth removal. Post-operative care for this treatment includes cold compresses, careful eating and maintaining good oral hygiene. Bruising and mild pain can be managed with over-the-counter medication and patients are good to go after a few days.
Dental Implant Surgery
Often touted as the most natural tooth replacement alternative, the initial surgical installment needs the stable hands of a qualified emergency oral surgeon. Studies demonstrate high long-term rates of success when done properly.
The surgical process first requires thorough treatment planning with digital scans and casts to precisely plot implant positioning. Using anesthesia along with oral/IV sedation is also a very common procedure that helps manage discomfort when making minor incisions and placing titanium anchoring implants into receiver sites.
Implants fuse securely with osseointegration, biologically binding implants to surrounding living bone. Abutments later emerge from gums where custom-matched artificial porcelain crowns attach perfectly, mimicking the appearance and function of natural teeth. Implants empower functionality with eating, speech, and facial aesthetics throughout the patient’s life and improve their quality of life drastically.
Periodontal Surgery
Periodontal surgery is a type of dental procedure aimed at treating gum problems. It’s typically performed by a dentist or a periodontist, a specialist in gum diseases. The surgery can involve the removal of damaged tissue, reshaping of the gums, or the addition of tissue grafts. The main goal of periodontal surgery is to improve the health of the gums and enhance the appearance of the patient’s smile. The procedure can help regrow damaged bones and tissues, prevent tooth loss, reduce gum gaps between teeth, reshape the jawbone to lower the risk for bacterial growth and eliminate bacteria and infection.
There are different types of periodontal surgeries, such as flap surgery, bone grafting, and guided tissue regeneration. In flap surgery, small cuts are made in the gum to lift a section of tissue back, allowing for the removal of tartar and bacteria. Bone grafting involves replacing the bone around the tooth root that has been damaged by gum disease with a graft.
Guided tissue regeneration allows for bone regrowth by placing a small piece of material between the bone and gum tissue. The specific procedures and techniques used can vary depending on the individual’s condition and the dentist’s expertise.
Trauma Reconstruction
Trauma reconstruction in dentistry involves the management and treatment of dental injuries caused by trauma. This can include fractures, tearing, and dislocation of permanent teeth, and traumatic injuries to primary teeth. The treatment often requires a team effort involving general dentists, pediatric dentists, periodontists, oral surgeons, and endodontic specialists. The goal is to preserve the tooth with respect to the pulp, pulpal space, and root.
In more complex cases, patients may present with double vision, teeth that don’t line up, or more extensive fractures of the jaw and face. These complex reconstructions are often treated with the latest technologies, such as 3D printing, computerized image guidance, and intraoperative CT scans. The clinical limitations, implications of invasive reconstructive surgical procedures, and prognostic uncertainty are current challenges in regenerative dental medicine.
Oral Biopsy
An oral biopsy in dentistry is a simple procedure where a small piece of tissue is taken from your mouth to be checked under a microscope. This is usually done if your dentist finds something unusual in your mouth during a check-up and wants to find out what it is. There are two main types of oral biopsies. In an incisional biopsy, a small piece of the unusual tissue is removed. In an excisional biopsy, the whole area is removed. The biopsy helps the dentist figure out if the unusual area is harmful or not. After the biopsy, a special doctor called a pathologist looks at the tissue under a microscope to see if there are any signs of disease.
Less invasive exfoliative techniques examine spit or brush samples to find precancerous/cancerous cells without needing surgical intervention. Patients await the results of the biopsy to find out if there is anything abnormal present that may require professional treatment. These can be medical/surgical in nature and are according to individual scenarios. Detection using this intervention optimizes survival rates by making sure oral cancer screening happens at least once a year.
Preparing for Surgery
Oral surgery can be a daunting experience for many people, especially if they don’t know what to expect or how to prepare. Here are some tips on how to prepare for oral surgery based on the advice of experts.
Be informed
Before your oral surgery, you should schedule a consultation with your dentist or oral surgeon to discuss the reasons, risks, benefits, and alternatives of your procedure. You should also ask any questions you have about the surgery, such as what type of anesthesia will be used, how long the surgery will take, what to expect during and after the surgery, and how to care for your mouth after the surgery. You should also inform your dentist or oral surgeon about any medical conditions, allergies, or medications you have, as they may affect your surgery or recovery.
Arrange transportation
If you are going to be sedated for your oral surgery, you will need someone to drive you home after the procedure. Sedation can impair your judgment and coordination, making it unsafe for you to operate a vehicle. You should also have someone stay with you for at least 24 hours after the surgery, as you may need help with daily activities or in case of an emergency.
Follow fasting instructions from oral surgeons
If you are going to be sedated for your oral surgery, you will need to fast for at least 8 hours before the procedure. This means no food or drink, including water, after midnight of the evening before your surgery. This reduces the risk of aspiration, a rare but serious complication of anesthesia that fills the lungs with the contents of your stomach. If you need to take medication during your fast, you can have a small sip of water if necessary.
Wear comfortable clothing
On the day of your oral surgery, you should wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing and a short-sleeved or sleeveless shirt. This will make it easier for the nurses to take your vital signs, give you an IV, or put blood pressure cuffs on you during the surgery. You should also wear flat-soled shoes that support your ankles and remove any contact lenses, jewelry, watches, or fingernail polish.
Give yourself time
You should arrive at least 20 minutes before your scheduled appointment time for your oral surgery. This will give you time to complete any paperwork, relax, and ask any last-minute questions. You should also plan to rest for the rest of the day after the surgery and avoid any strenuous activities or work.
Any oral dental surgeon who provides the best oral and maxillofacial surgery will provide you with detailed guidance regarding your treatment process. We at Sunny Isles Dental make sure that each of our patients gets the personalized treatment they deserve, with complete details on what to expect.
This is regardless of whether it is something simple like a tooth extraction or wisdom teeth removal or more serious interventions like root canal, cleft palate treatment, or implant placement.
Recovery and Aftercare
Postsurgical management is a key process in making sure that you get the best possible results after dental or maxillofacial surgery. An oral and maxillofacial surgeon will tell you exactly what kind of care you need and here’s what you can expect:
Recovery Process
After oral surgery, it’s important to take it easy for the first 24 hours. You should avoid any strenuous physical activity to help your body heal. It’s normal to experience some bleeding and swelling after the procedure.
You can manage this by applying an ice pack to your face and biting down on a piece of damp sterile gauze. Pain can be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as recommended by your dentist.
Aftercare Instructions
To prevent infection, you’ll need to keep the surgical area clean. Your surgeon will give you specific instructions on how to do this. This might include avoiding brushing or using mouthwash for a while or rinsing your mouth with salt water instead.
You should also avoid using a straw, smoking, and eating hot, cold, tough, chewy, or spicy foods for at least three days after your procedure. If your symptoms get worse or if you have a fever or trouble swallowing or breathing, it’s important to contact your dentist or oral surgeon right away.
Selecting Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Finding the right oral and maxillofacial surgeons is a key part of making sure that you get the best oral treatment you can find from any local oral surgeon. The following steps can prove to be extremely useful in your search.
Ask for Referrals
The first step in finding a good oral surgeon is to ask your general dentist for a personal referral. Your dentist will likely have a list of oral surgeons they trust and regularly work with. They can recommend someone based on your specific needs and their knowledge of the surgeon’s expertise and patient care.
Online Research
Next, you can do some online research. Look for oral surgeons near you and check their reviews and ratings. This can give you an idea of other patients’ experiences and the quality of care the surgeon provides.
Check Qualifications
Also, check the surgeon’s qualifications and their dental school history on their website or by calling their office. They should be members of professional organizations, which shows they are committed to their field.
Insurance Coverage
Don’t forget to check with your insurance provider if they provide coverage for a specific emergency oral surgeon in your plan. They can give you a list of oral surgeons who are in your network. This can help you avoid any unexpected costs.
Consultation
Finally, book a consultation with a few oral surgeons. This gives you a chance to meet them, ask questions, and get a feel for their practice. You can ask about their experience, success rates, and whether they think surgery is necessary for your case. This will help you make an informed decision about your care.
Conclusion
Each of the treatments above takes a lot of expertise and experience to perform, and the list certainly goes beyond these treatments. With the right oral and maxillofacial surgeon treating you, it becomes a lot easier to get over any fear you may have and restore your smile fully.
For the people in Florida, such a high level of treatment quality is available with us at Sunny Isles Dental. We offer 24/7 online booking for appointments, and you can also get in touch with us via phone to discuss your needs. We look forward to helping you bring back your natural smile!
