Maxillofacial surgery is one of the nine specialties of dentistry and is a recognized international surgical specialty. Under this branch, a spectrum of procedures includes gum or periodontal grafts, teeth extractions, corrective jaw surgery, and dental bone grafts.
Oral or maxillofacial surgeons are dental specialists who get years of additional training and experience over regular dentistry. The additional training focuses on the skin, bones, and muscles of the mouth, face, and jaw.
After completing their undergraduate degree, oral surgeons complete four to six years of advanced surgical training. These additional training years equip the maxillofacial surgeons to gain expertise in treating severely misaligned jaws, trauma, TMJ disorders, and many other serious dental issues that need targeted surgical treatment.
Patients want to be treated by a knowledgeable and well-trained oral surgeon for various reasons. In this article, we will learn some of the standard procedures performed by oral surgeons.
What is Oral Surgery?
Maxillofacial surgery encompasses all operations performed on your gums, teeth, jaw, and other surrounding facial structures. Maxillofacial treatment corrects a wide range of defects, diseases, and injuries associated with the neck, head, jaw, face, and tissues (hard and soft) of the maxillofacial region. One would need oral surgery for a variety of reasons, such as:
- Badly broken teeth
- Extensive tooth decay
- Impacted teeth.
- Gum disease
- Bone loss in the jaw
- Missing teeth
- TMJ (Temporomandibular joint) disorders
- Sleep apnea
- Cancer of mouth
- Non Cancerous bumps or lumps
An Oral Surgeon Vs. A Dentist
As your family doctor handles various health issues, a dentist can diagnose and treat all basic dental problems. On the other hand, maxillofacial surgeons have a specialty in dealing with complex dental problems and offer various treatments:
- Oral surgeons go through hospital-based surgical residency programs.
- They are also trained in administering IV (intravenous) sedation, general anesthesia, and nitrous oxide.
- Dentists are most patients’ first point of contact for any teeth issues, routine exams, and cleanings. Dentists also do procedures such as fillings and crowns. For more severe cases, you would look at maxillofacial surgeons. Oral surgeons treat more complex issues like wisdom tooth complications, facial injuries, congenital disabilities, etc.
Treatments Provided By Oral Surgeons
Every oral surgeon decides which surgery to specialize in and focus on. But there are four procedures that all maxillofacial surgeons have expertise in, as outlined below:
- Removal of wisdom tooth – Wisdom teeth are also called third molars and are typically the last to emerge in adults. The common problem with wisdom teeth is that, in most cases, the jaw is not large enough to accommodate them. Due to this, several other issues arise, such as chronic pain, crowding, increased risk of infection, etc. When wisdom teeth do not fully emerge through the gums, they need to be extracted, and oral surgeons are skilled in safely removing them.
- Bone grafting – If there is bone loss in your jaw, bone grafting is done to correct it. Bone loss can occur for various reasons; the most common is a lack of nutrients in the jaws. With your natural teeth, your jaw nerves are stimulated by the root of your teeth, signaling the brain to send nutrients to the jaw. But if your teeth have been missing, it leads to bone deterioration since there is no root to stimulate the nerves. With a dental bone graft, the density and volume of your jawbone can be restored so that one can have dental implants placed. In bone grafting, your doctor would place a new and healthy bone material where there is bone loss. Bone graft might also be necessitated during periodontal surgeries when advanced gum disease erodes the bone around your teeth. Bone grafting provides a solid foundation and reduces mobility, keeping your teeth healthy and strong.
- Placement of dental implants – Dental implants are the most reliable and long-lasting solution for missing teeth. Implants comprise medical-grade zirconia or titanium embedded in your jaw to replace missing teeth roots. The implants are then restored with dental bridges, crowns, or dentures. It is a minor surgery and requires the skills of an oral surgeon.
- Corrective jaw surgery – This is also known as orthognathic surgery and addresses abnormalities in jaw bone structure. Jaws are often the source of many dental health complications, and oral surgery can rectify these complications. Corrective jaw surgery can help improve chewing functions, address facial imbalances, and correct misaligned jaws. If you have TMJ dysfunction, then this surgery could also be used to alleviate the pain.
- Palate and Cleft Lip Repair – If a baby is born with a cleft lip, s/he would have an opening in the upper lip. If it is a cleft palate, the opening is in the roof of the mouth. A child could also have both conditions. This anomaly occurs when the facial structures do not develop fully in the uterus. With maxillofacial surgery, cleft lip and palate can be repaired, enabling normal eating function and proper speech patterns.
An oral surgeon performs surgery on a patient’s jaw, mouth, and face. The oral surgeons receive additional training to conduct these surgeries, which can treat severe complex dental issues like cleft lip, dental implants, corrective jaw surgery, etc.
