At least 42% of Americans don’t see the dentist as often as they’d like.
However, visiting the dentist might become unavoidable when a toothache is present. Sometimes, upon examination, oral surgery is required.
The term oral surgery can be a little scary, especially if you’ve never had to do more than a filling. If you’re curious about the various types of oral surgery and what they entail, stay tuned, because you’re about to find out.
Tooth Extractions
If your dentist wants to give you a tooth extraction, this is usually because disease or trauma has made it impossible for the tooth to be saved. You may also require a tooth extraction if you have teeth that are overcrowding your mouth.
Usually, when teeth are overcrowding the mouth, all that’s needed are forceps to do an extraction. However, there are times when a tooth extraction requires surgery. A surgical extraction will require your gum to be cut.
When the tooth is extracted, your dentist will stitch the gum back together. Surgical extractions tend to be necessary for wisdom teeth; however, they may also be necessary for other stubborn teeth.
Prosthodontics
The other type of oral surgery that’s very popular is prosthodontics. Prosthodontics refers to procedures that are done mainly for aesthetic purposes. For example, if you’ve lost a tooth, you may decide to get a crown and a bridge.
This will involve the reshaping of teeth on either side of the extracted tooth to fit a crown and bridge. Another procedure that’s very common is a dental implant. This involves creating an artificial tooth to replace a lost one.
Prosthodontics also involves veneers. Veneers are perfect for giving teeth a more polished look and creating a whiter smile. Veneers are often used to fix discolored, misshaped, and broken teeth.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
This type of surgery is a bit more complex than the rest. It’s normally done when corrective work is needed for the jawbones and even nerves in the mouth.
It may also be done for issues in the neck and face. Additionally, when defects are present in the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial areas, surgery may be carried out.
How to Prep for All Types of Oral Surgery
In preparation for any oral surgery, you need to tell your doctor about the medications that you’re taking; this includes over-the-counter drugs. You should also tell your doctor about any supplements you take.
This is because some prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements thin the blood. If you have any kind of surgery before cleansing your system, excessive bleeding will occur.
A Final Look at Oral Surgery
If you’re about to have oral surgery, you’re likely to have a lot of questions about the types of oral surgery; this is natural. The most important thing is to talk to your doctor about what the surgery entails and how you can go about making yourself as comfortable as possible.
If you’d like more information on dental procedures, please read this informative article.