People of all ages are prone to oral health challenges. Fortunately, dentists Bolton deal with all manner of dental issues. Unfortunately, many people associate dental surgery procedures with pain and numerous negatives. Also, there is a notion that dental surgeries are costly, but that may not be entirely true. What many people don’t know is that dentist surgery may be the solution to their oral health issues. Granted, legit horror stories about dentistry exist, but they’re few.
While dentistry is an outpatient service for the most part, patients with severe oral health issues can be admitted. Most people resume their daily routine a few days after undergoing a dental procedure. Dental surgery refers to the different types of dental procedures performed by dentists, including fixing unaligned teeth, treating oral diseases like gingivitis, teeth surgery, and more.
Dentists refer patients to oral surgeons to determine if dental surgery is necessary for them. An oral surgeon will review your case, including your oral health, and recommend the optimal course of action. Depending on the situation, surgical or nonsurgical treatment options may be recommended by surgeons.
What are the Most Common Dental Surgeries?
Dental surgery doesn’t constitute all dental procedures. Here are common dental surgical procedures:
Root Canal
A root canal is arguably the most common tooth surgery procedure. Millions of people undergo teeth operations every year, saving them from tooth extractions, pain, and teeth sensitivity.
A root canal is an oral treatment procedure to fix damaged and infected teeth without removing them. As the name suggests, a root canal involves cleaning the roots of your teeth.
The dental pulp (a mass of tissues and blood vessels) is located inside your tooth, underneath the enamel. This organ is essential for the growth and survival of your teeth.
Bacteria gains access to your teeth and damages dental pulp if your teeth are decayed. A damaged dental pulp causes mouth pain, swelling, and jaw or neck pain. By performing a root canal, the infected dental pulp is extracted after removing the decaying section of the tooth.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are oral devices surgically placed in the jawbone to replace the roots of a missing tooth. The titanium in the metals fuses with the jawbone to prevent slipping, noise, and bone damage.
Dental implants are made of titanium and titanium alloys due to their light weight and compatibility with the body. In other words, titanium isn’t rejected by your body and is light on your mouth. These oral devices are ideal for patients with:
- Decayed teeth
- Gum disease
- Oral cancer, and
- Oral health conditions resulting from smoking and alcohol
Fixing dental implants involves creating a channel in the jawbone to allow the fusion of the implants and the jawbone. The fusion can take anywhere between two and six months.
Extraction of Wisdom Tooth
Wisdom tooth extraction involves removing the three back teeth of the top and bottom jaws. These teeth are molars, and they grow between 17 and 25 years.
When wisdom teeth lack sufficient room for growth, they can cause numerous dental problems like excruciating pain, gum disease, and infections, among others. Extraction is often recommended to prevent further oral health problems.
Wisdom tooth extraction is typically an outpatient service, and most people recover fully within a few days of the procedure. This type of dental surgery type can result in excess bleeding, so you must follow your dentist’s instructions to avoid over-bleeding and shorten the recovery duration.
Your dentist can prescribe coagulants to catalyze blood clotting. Good oral hygiene can promote faster healing after a wisdom tooth extraction procedure.
Reconstructive Surgery
High-impact or serious accidents can disfigure your face, also known as facial trauma. A disfigurement can injure the oral cavity and distort the structure of your teeth.
Disfigurements are common in slip and fall, sports, and work-related accidents, among others. Reconstructive surgery helps fix damaged jawbones and any issues resulting from oral cavity injuries.
Reconstructive surgery targets soft tissue injuries and fractures. The former deals with gum and skin trauma like cuts, while the latter focuses on palate lacerations.
Cosmetic Surgery
Cosmetic surgery boosts the patient’s facial appearance when they laugh or smile. This invasive medical procedure is strictly for beauty rather than medical reasons. Oral cosmetic surgery includes teeth whitening or bleaching and orthodontics.
Tooth Whitening
Tooth whitening involves lightening coloured teeth. Teeth colouration can result from fluoride-rich water, drinks, or food. Also, some people are born with coloured teeth. You no longer have to suffer low self-esteem. Tooth whitening can discolour the enamel and ultimately boost your confidence.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics dentistry focuses on the correction of malpositioned teeth and jaws and bite patterns. This dental surgery procedure can also help modify facial growth through dentofacial orthopedics.
You don’t have to consult an oral surgeon for cosmetic surgery. However, a wellness report from a doctor is necessary because improperly done cosmetic surgery can cause serious health issues like oral cancer and gum disease.
What are the Different Types of Dentists?
According to the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialty and Certifying Boards— NCRDSCB, and the American Dental Association, only 12 types of dentists are recognized, including:
Pediatric Dentists
Pediatric dentists or Pedodontists specialize in oral health for people aged between 1 and 19 years.
Orthodontists
Orthodontists correct misaligned teeth, jaws, and wrong bite patterns. These dentists use wires, braces, retainers, and others to help patients. While most people who seek the services of orthodontists are adults, they also treat children.
Periodontists
Periodontists diagnose, treat, and manage gum disease, including gingivitis and periodontitis. Also, they can fix, maintain, and repair dental implants.
Endodontists
Endodontists specialize in dental pulp (nerve tissue and blood vessels) issues. Their duties include root canal treatment, endodontic surgery, or any procedure to save teeth from the effects of dental injuries.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Oral surgeons manage many injuries, including injuries to the head, neck, face, jaws, and mouth. In the context of oral health, these professionals can do complex tooth surgery, correct misaligned jaws, and remove mouth tumours, and cysts.
Other recognized types of dentists include:
- Prosthodontists
- Oral pathologists
- Oral maxillofacial radiologists
- Dental anesthesiologists
- Oral medicine specialists
- Orofacial pain specialist, and
- Dental public health specialists
So, how do you know the right type of dentist for your dental health needs? Many times, general dentists perform similar tasks to specialist dentists. However, you may need an expert in some cases.
General dentists can perform general dental procedures like wisdom teeth extractions, root canals, and implants, among others. They will refer you to a specialist in more difficult cases like oral cancer and others.
Conclusion
A dentist should be part of your journey if you’re considering a dental surgery procedure, whether for cosmetic or medical reasons. Numerous health issues can be avoided or managed with good oral health and oral hygiene. You should schedule a consultation with a skilled and experienced dentist for all your oral health issues, including oral pain, teeth sensitivity, bleeding gums, and coloured teeth, among others.
Contrary to what many people think, dental surgery procedures don’t take much time. Also, they may be way cheaper than you imagine. It’s important to visit your dentist regularly to keep track of your oral health and arrest potential health risks resulting from poor oral health and hygiene.
