An Oral Surgery is a dental professional who can perform a number of advanced oral procedures. This type of surgeon specializes in the soft tissue and bone inside the mouth and corrects conditions such as impacted teeth, deformed jaws or misaligned teeth and overbites. An experienced oral surgeon uses various techniques to address complex dental issues and improve the smiles of patients.
When a tooth becomes so decayed it needs complete removal, or a tooth fails to grow properly and creates problems, surgery becomes necessary to fix the issue.
A tooth that does not grow completely through the gum but rather gets stuck in the jawbone is known as an impacted tooth. When this situation occurs, it can force nearby teeth into unnatural and uncomfortable positions and result in infection and pain. Unlike fully grown teeth that need an extraction, an impacted tooth cannot simply be pulled out. Surgery is necessary to cut around it for removal. Parts of the jawbone and gum tissue are cut back to allow access to the problem tooth. After the oral surgeon successfully takes out the tooth, the gum tissue and jawbone must be carefully repaired so they can heal.
In the case of a missing tooth, an implant may be needed to prevent bone loss and keep the other teeth from shifting. The implant is inserted deep into the jawbone in order to fuse correctly and allow a replacement tooth, called a crown, to be successfully attached. An oral surgeon is needed to not only place the implant post in the jawbone but also to determine if the bone is strong enough to support the implant.
Jawbones do not always develop correctly. In some cases, people need to have them restructured in order to chew effectively and speak correctly.
The process of taking bone from one area of the body and adding it to another is called bone grafting. The transplanted bone fuses to the existing bone to make it more solid. Bone grafts can become necessary when there is not enough bone in the part of the jaw where an implant is needed. A graft can also remedy damage such as bone loss or decay resulting from gum disease.
Extreme cases of under or overbites and many instances of sleep apnea can be corrected through jaw surgery. To fix such issues, an oral surgeon may need to move the jaw to a different position. If the joints of the lower jaw, called the temporomandibular joints, are not properly aligned, damage may occur to the teeth, jawbone and even the tissue. Sometimes the oral surgeon needs to relocate the entire jawbone to correctly balance the joints and prevent problems.
It may become necessary to visit an oral surgeon when a smile is affected by an issue such as an impacted tooth that needs an extraction, a missing tooth that needs an implant or a jawbone that needs strengthening or realignment. The special training and experience of this type of dental professional help procedures like these to be performed safely and with a successful outcome.
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