General Dentistry Oral Surgery Procedures

Oral surgery is any surgical procedure performed on the different structures of the oral cavity, including the teeth, jaw and gums. Although every patient is unique, most of the procedures are performed on an outpatient basis. The dentist will perform an oral evaluation to determine if surgical treatment is necessary. Below are common oral surgery procedures performed by general dentists and an explanation of their benefits:

Oral surgery procedures

Teeth extraction

If teeth do not erupt out of the gums correctly, they may cause issues such as overcrowding, infection and tooth pain. A tooth that gets impacted can disrupt the alignment of other teeth. This issue is common with wisdom teeth because the jaw is sometimes not large enough to accommodate them. The dentist will recommend extracting these teeth to preserve the integrity of the oral cavity and restore oral health.

Improve denture fitting

Dentures are replacements for missing teeth. However, the denture may not fit properly or comfortably if the gum is irregular or the jaw lacks adequate volume to offer enough support. The dentist can fix these irregularities with a gum and bone graft procedure to improve a denture's fit in the mouth. The process involves transferring bone material from another part of the patient's body or from a donor and using it to reshape the gums.

Dental implants

These are substitutes for tooth roots that are inserted into the jawbone. The dentist will connect an artificial tooth (crown, bridge or denture) to the titanium metal screw to create a tooth-like dental restoration. Dental implants can be used to replace one tooth, multiple teeth or all of the teeth on the jaw.

Sleep apnea treatment

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep condition. A dentist can provide oral appliances to help patients sleep better. In some cases, the dentist might recommend additional oral surgery to remove excess soft tissue at the back of the throat to open the airway; this will reduce symptoms of the condition, such as snoring.

Jaw surgery

The dentist can diagnose issues with jaw alignment or development and can detect injuries that may cause problems with breathing, talking, eating and swallowing. Jaw surgery can make the jaw balanced or aligned; it can enhance the patient’s appearance, relieve pain and allow normal jaw usage.

Cleft lip and palate correction

A cleft palate is a congenital deformity in which parts of the nasal cavity and mouth fail to develop completely. This may cause a split or space in the root of the lip, mouth or both. Oral surgery can correct the cleft.

Points to consider

Before oral surgery, a general dentist will guide the patient through the treatment plan. They will discuss plans for anesthesia, and patients will be able to ask any questions they have about the surgical procedure. Most oral surgeries are done under sedation to keep the patient comfortable throughout the procedure. Every surgery has a recovery period. The dentist will provide aftercare instructions and recommend pain relievers to deal with recovery pain.

In conclusion

If you are experiencing problems with your jaws, teeth or gums, you need to contact the general dentist for an appointment. They will recommend an oral surgery procedure after an examination if it is necessary.

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