Oral surgery is also known as maxillofacial surgery. This procedure involves artificially modifying the tissues of your mouth to solve dental problems. These tissues include teeth, gums, jaw, head, or face. A qualified dental specialist performs it.
When Do I Require Oral Surgery?
You may require an oral surgeon for conditions that exceed the scope of your general dentist .consult a dentist near you for surgery for the following:
- Fallen or knocked-out teeth from accidents or infection: lost teeth may be replaced with dental implants instead of dentures or bridges. Implants are root replacements that are surgically installed in the jawbone to hold artificial teeth in place. You will need to have enough bone level, density, and a low risk of infection.
- Tooth removal: it is the most common reason for surgery. Teeth are extracted to treat trauma or an overcrowded mouth.
- Jaw related issues such as:
- Uneven jaw development- when the jaws don’t grow properly, you may experience trouble chewing, breathing, speaking, eating, and swallowing. Some of these disorders, like misalignment, can be corrected using braces, while severe cases require oral surgery to shift all or part of the jaw to new functional positions.
- Correcting the jaw position to fit dentures. During a first fitting, any abnormalities are fixed to provide an appropriate fit. Long-term wearers get surgery to add bone grafts to the worn-out supporting bone.
- Temporomandibular Joint disorders- problems with this joint near the ear where the skull connects to the lower jaw cause headache and pain. This can be solved with medication, physical therapy, or surgery
- Lesion extraction and examination of abnormal growth
- Cleft lip and palate restoration
- Facial injury correction, including fractured jaws
- Infections around the face, neck, or jaws that could snowball into life-threatening conditions
- Sleep apnea needs the removal of soft tissues of the lower jaw or oropharynx.
- Impacted teeth: these are the third molars which are the last teeth to develop. Sometimes, they lack space to erupt and are unable to emerge from the gum tissue. This results in inflammation, pain, and infection around the surrounding area from the trapped tooth. Also, neighboring teeth and jawbones can incur permanent damage with cysts and tumors.
Wisdom teeth aren’t the only teeth that can be impacted. Premolars and canines can also be trapped under the gums.
How Do I Prepare For Oral Surgery?
Your oral surgery in Coral Springs would be more smooth with preparation. Follow your dentist’s instructions regarding the specific procedure. Here are more tips you could enforce:
- Be knowledgeable about the reasons, benefits, and risks of the process. Ask the specialist questions
- Ensure you procure a way to get home after since you’ll receive anesthesia which can impair your decisions
- Avoid eating or drinking anything after midnight the day before the surgery, which reduces complications of anesthesia called aspiration
- Wear short-sleeved clothes to make it easy for the dentist to receive injections and check your vital signs
- Carry a storage structure to put your dentures or bridge
- Be punctual
- Ensure you are going back to a pre-arranged house to minimize straining, including setting up your bed at a comfortable angle
What Are The Recovery Guidelines?
You will need to take care of your oral health to recover with ease. You can do the following:
- Rest and avoid strenuous activities like lifting or driving.
- Use extra pillows to support your head
- Follow the dentist’s instructions, including brushing with a soft-bristled brush, rinsing with water and salt instead of mouthwash.
- Keep the site clean from food particles
- Apply ice or cold compress on the swollen part of your face in intervals of 15 minutes
- Consult your doctor if you experience a fever, trouble breathing, allergic reactions, or leaking pus
- Slow down bleeding using a clean gauze
- Eat soft and cool food such as yogurt
- Protect the blood clot to catalyze healing of the wound. Avoid using a straw, taking alcohol, caffeinated beverages, or smoking
- Take pain medication to manage the discomfort
- Attend follow-up dental appointments
Schedule an appointment with Dental Smiles FL today for your oral health needs. Our dentist near you in Coral Springs will utilize their experience to provide you with the best dental care. We also welcome patients from Kensington, The Hills, Royal Land, The Dells, Whispering Woods, NW 60th Pl, Northwest 80th Terrace, Northwest 104 Lane, and nearby communities.