What Is Oral Surgery?
It entails any dental procedure involving cutting open soft tissues in the mouth. In Dental Zone, oral surgeries can target various aspects of the oral cavity, including teeth, gums, jaws, or other oral structures. Oral surgeries are typically performed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. They have experience, training, and qualifications to handle any oral surgery involving the mouth and facial features. However, other dental experts like periodontists and endodontists can perform some dental surgeries.
8 Common Types of Oral Surgeries
Dental surgeries vary widely since they can target any part of the oral cavity. The most common types include:
- Tooth extractions – not all tooth removal procedures are simple. Sometimes a dentist will perform oral surgery to remove a stubborn tooth, especially in the cases of impacted teeth.
- Implantation surgery – entails a surgical procedure for installing a dental implant in the jawbone. The dental implant’s role is to replace natural teeth permanently by restoring the tooth root first.
- Bone grafting – is a dental surgery for repairing and restoring dental bone tissue using bone grafts. This surgery targets the jawbone, particularly after tooth loss, a dental injury, or advanced periodontal disease.
- Gum grafting – similar to bone grafting surgery, gum grafting requires obtaining gum grafts from a different part of your oral cavity. The graft helps restore receded and infected gum tissue, typical when you have periodontitis.
- Apicoectomy – is an endodontic procedure for treating abscessed teeth. Instead of accessing the tooth from the top, a dentist will cut the gum tissue to access the tooth roots to remove the infection.
- Gum reduction surgery – is a cosmetic dental protocol for treating a gummy smile. The dentist will surgically remove part of the gums, affecting the gum line to beautify your smile.
- Orthognathic surgery – is a corrective jaw procedure addressing any skeletal anomalies of the jawbone. The procedure can help correct various problems, including facial imbalance, improper bites, and chewing dysfunctions.
- Cleft lip and palate repair – entails a series of dental surgeries to repair the palate and lips, typical among children. A cleft palate or lip occurs when some oral features do not fully form during pregnancy and birth. It can affect normal chewing, breathing, speaking, and other related oral functions.
Tips for Recovering Smoothly After an Oral surgery
After any dental surgery, you must prepare accordingly for your recovery period, which may last longer than a day or two. Some of the things you should do when recovering from oral surgery are:
- Take prescribed medication – a dentist near you in Surrey, BC, will prescribe some medicine for pain relief and overcoming swelling of your mouth. Taking the medication will improve your comfort levels, particularly during the first few days after surgery.
- Eat soft foods – you should not be skipping meals simply because you have undergone oral surgery. Instead, switch to soft foods to prevent pain and discomfort when you chew. While at it, ensure you include nutritious foods in your meal plan because your body needs the nutrients and energy to heal quickly.
- Rest – make time for active resting, particularly during the first 72 hours after surgery. The resting period will give your body ample time to focus on healing instead of other activities of the day.
- Change the gauze on the wound – its role is to prevent bleeding. Change it every 30 minutes or so on a need basis. The idea is to prevent infection in the wound.
- Keep your mouth clean – depending on the type of surgery you have had, oral hygiene will look different. In some cases, you may not be able to brush your teeth for the first two days after surgery. Instead, use a clean cloth to wipe your mouth surfaces, cleaning the tongue, gums, and teeth. Eventually, you should be able to use a soft-bristled toothbrush to keep your oral cavity clean and free from bacteria that cause infections.
- Cold compress – wrap an ice bag in a piece of cloth and place it over the cheek on the affected side. It will alleviate the swelling and discomfort.