Oral surgery is a medical procedure or operation on the mouth and teeth, to treat various health problems that occur. But in general, this surgery also aims to overcome problems in the jaw, neck, head, and maxillofacial area.
This medical procedure is performed by a dentist who specializes in oral surgery. The range of conditions that an oral surgeon can treat is quite broad.
Surgery This covers a wide range of procedures, including tooth extractions, dental bone grafts, periodontal (gum) grafts, and corrective jaw surgery. One common use of oral surgery is to remove wisdom teeth.
However, there are various other conditions that require this surgery as a treatment step, to maintain or restore the overall function of the oral cavity.
Types of Oral Surgery
There are many types of this procedure. Here are some of them:
1. Dental implants
Dental implants are a surgical procedure to insert artificial tooth roots (implants) into the gums, to replace the base and body of the missing tooth.
Patients can replace their missing teeth with dentures connected to implants using artificial tooth roots. Dental implants can last longer than dentures.
2. Wisdom teeth extraction
The back molars or wisdom teeth usually grow between the ages of 17 and 25. When these teeth grow, there will usually be a feeling of pain.
Well, surgery to remove wisdom teeth is necessary when the wisdom teeth are impacted, grow in the wrong direction, or when the jawbone does not have enough space for the molars.
After removing problematic wisdom teeth, you will be free from a number of related problems, including infections, cysts, and gum disease.
3. Jaw surgery
The purpose of this procedure is to treat abnormalities in the patient’s upper jaw (maxilla) or lower jaw (mandible). Specifically, dental or jaw irregularities that cannot be corrected with orthodontic surgery can be corrected with jaw surgery.
This procedure is done by realigning the jawbone and teeth. In addition, this jaw surgery can also improve the shape of the face.
Benefits of Oral Surgery
Oral surgery is useful for correcting problems in the mouth and jaw so that the full function of the oral cavity can be restored.
Examples of mouth and jaw problems include impacted teeth, stiff jaw, jaw pain, facial and jaw fractures, cleft lip, and oral cancer. In addition, this procedure is also useful for treating sleep apnea
Purpose of Oral Surgery
The goal of the procedure is to treat the following diseases or conditions:
- Problems or abnormalities with the jaw, such as a protruding jaw.
- Severe headaches due to jaw deformities.
- Problems with the shape of the teeth. Such as overbite, underbite and crossbite .
- Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea.
- Wisdom tooth cavity.
- Abnormally growing wisdom teeth.
- Cyst or abscess on the gums around the wisdom teeth.
- Bacterial infections, such as cellulitis of the cheek, tongue, or throat.
- Jaw tumor.
- Tongue cancer.
When is Oral Surgery Necessary?
For dental and jaw problems that go beyond the expertise of a general dentist, you may need oral surgery. For example, if your wisdom teeth are impacted, you may need to have this surgery to remove them.
If you have gum disease and need a gum graft, your doctor will refer you to a periodontist who performs this type of surgery.
Before performing oral surgery, a general dentist will usually discuss it with you and refer you to the appropriate clinic or hospital.
Additionally, your dentist may recommend oral surgery if you have:
- Extensive tooth decay.
- Badly damaged teeth.
- Gum disease.
- Impacted teeth.
- Loss of teeth.
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).
- Bone loss in your jaw.
- Sleep apnea.
- Oral cancer.
- Benign oral pathology (non-cancerous lumps).
- Cavities in wisdom teeth.
- Wisdom teeth that grow in the wrong position.
- The appearance of cysts or abscesses on the gums around the wisdom teeth.
- The occurrence of cellulitis on the cheeks, tongue, or throat.
Oral Surgery Warning
Although it is useful for treating various problems and abnormalities in the mouth and teeth, not everyone can undergo oral surgery procedures.
Here are some things you need to inform your doctor before undergoing dental implants:
- Suffering from diabetes or heart disease.
- Undergoing radiotherapy to the neck or head area.
- Smoking or having a nicotine addiction.
In wisdom teeth surgery or odontectomy, there are things that prevent someone from undergoing this procedure, or require special supervision from a doctor, namely:
- Infection in the affected area of the tooth.
- Having uncontrolled diabetes.
- Have liver disease or kidney failure.
- Suffering from hypertension.
- Are pregnant in the first or third trimester?
- Having lymphoma.
- Having a blood clotting disorder, such as hemophilia.
- Meanwhile, in jaw surgery, there are also several conditions that require you to receive special supervision, namely:
- Poor dental and oral hygiene.
- Have a blood disorder.
- Having blood vessel disorders in the area to be treated.
Oral Surgery Procedures
The following are oral surgery procedures from preparation, during treatment, to after:
Preparation Before Procedure
Before lying on the operating table, the patient needs to change into a special surgical gown. So, does oral surgery have to be under general anesthesia?
The doctor may provide anesthesia and sedation if necessary, and depending on the procedure.
During the Procedure
Dental implant and wisdom tooth surgery will begin with making an incision in the gums to open the gum tissue and jaw bone.
Patients who undergo wisdom teeth surgery will undergo jaw bone removal that blocks the wisdom teeth area to make the wisdom teeth extraction process easier.
Dental implant surgery usually takes a few days. The gum root must be removed to make room for the dental implant to be inserted into the jawbone. After that, the implant can be placed in the jawbone.
Once the surgery is complete, you will be moved to a special recovery room. So, how long does it take to recover, and how long does it take to recover from oral surgery?
People undergoing dental implant and wisdom tooth surgery can usually leave the operating room and go home after the operation is complete.
However, jaw surgery patients will usually be in the recovery room before being allowed to go home. You may need to be hospitalized for a few days if necessary.
After Procedure
Here are some things you can do during recovery after oral surgery:
- Bite on sterile gauze for 30-60 minutes to reduce bleeding.
- Apply a cold compress to the mouth to relieve swelling and pain.
- After undergoing this procedure, the doctor will advise you not to brush your teeth for a while. Instead, you can gargle with warm water mixed with salt every two hours.
- Consume foods that are soft and easy for the body to digest.
- Don’t smoke and drink alcohol or soda.
Oral Surgery Complications
Some complications that can occur after undergoing oral surgery are:
- Bleeding.
- Facial nerve injury (trigeminal neuralgia).
- Infection.
- Jaw fracture.
- Loss of part of the jaw bone.
- The jawbone returns to its pre-operative position.
- Injury to the tissue around the gums, especially blood vessels and nerve tissue.
- Sinus problems, especially if the dental implant protrudes from the upper jaw.
Places to Perform Oral Surgery
You can undergo this procedure at a clinic or hospital that has an oral surgery specialist.
Oral surgeons are different from general dentists. If you are curious about General Dentists and Oral Surgeons, What’s the Difference? Find out the answer in the article.
Oral Surgery Costs
The cost of oral surgery can vary depending on the type of surgery and the hospital you have it done in. However, the price ranges near about 16,000/- in Indian Rupees.