Oral Surgery - The Basics

Oral and maxillofacial surgery, also known as otoplasty, is a specialized surgical specialty focused on facial plastic surgery, specifically of the face, jaw, oral cavity, throat and head. Oral surgeons are highly trained clinicians who have completed both medical and dental degrees and are board certified. Oral surgeons carry out reconstructive surgeries under the supervision of an oral surgeon or other qualified specialist. Oral surgeons may specialize in any one of a variety of areas including maxillofacial or facial plastic surgery, odontoplasty, refractory or craniofacial surgery, facial skin replacement, maxillofacial surgery, soft tissue surgery, craniofacial surgery, or ophthalmic surgery. The specific areas of oral surgery can be found in this site.

Oral surgery is divided into two general categories - local and general. General oral surgery is usually performed in the dentist's office under local anesthesia. While local anesthesia requires the use of an anesthetic for the procedure and patients do not require oral surgery under local anesthetic. General surgery is more complicated than local surgery and therefore requires a higher level of skill and knowledge than either local or general surgery and may require hospital admission.

Some common types of oral surgery performed by dentists include implants, dentures, bridges, crowns, veneers, dentures, gum lifts, whitening and bleaching, whitening and laser bleaching, orthodontics, and jaw reconstruction. Implants are used to replace missing teeth. They can be used to correct birth defects and are often used to replace multiple teeth. They are typically made of titanium and are inserted through the gums where they bond with the surrounding bone.

Bridges are used to bridge the gap between adjacent teeth. If you need oral surgery that will require general anesthesia, your general dentist will evaluate the need for this procedure before performing it. Bridges are most commonly used for children and patients with some level of speech and chewing function. Crowns are used to cover a gap or repair tooth loss; they are generally placed on one side of the tooth and secured with metal brackets.

If you have impacted wisdom teeth or spaced out wisdom teeth, you may need jaw reconstruction surgery to make room for the new teeth. One option is to bite-in replacement procedures, which allow the dentists to reshape the law in preparation for the replacement teeth. Another option is to bite-in procedures in which the dentists to create a mold of your face and take several casts of the results. One final option is to use bonding to repair damaged jaw bones; bonding uses synthetic material to fill in the gaps between the teeth and jaw to help the jaw move into place. Visit; gafacial.com   for more about these surgeries.

Many types of oral surgery require sedation. Dentists performing these surgeries will prescribe sedatives to help patients relax before the procedure. Sedatives work because they block the brain's natural calming effects that can occur during a procedure. These medications are also used for minor oral surgeries, such as whitening or jaw lengthening. Before undergoing any type of sedation, however, it is important for patients to discuss their medical history and any other drugs they may be taking, including herbal remedies, and to find out if sedation will interfere with the successful completion of any dental treatments.   For more understanding of this article, visit this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_surgery.