Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Oral and maxillofacial surgery includes surgical procedures involving the teeth, gums, jawbones, oral cavity, and facial structures. It may be required for impacted teeth, complex extractions, jaw abnormalities, cysts, infections, trauma, bone loss, or preparation for dental implants.

Wisdom tooth removal is one of the most common oral surgical procedures. Wisdom teeth may be removed when they are impacted, infected, decayed, damaging neighboring teeth, or associated with cysts. Not every wisdom tooth requires removal, and the decision should be based on examination and imaging.

Complex tooth extraction may be necessary when a tooth is severely broken, impacted, fused to the bone, positioned near important nerves, or cannot be removed through a routine procedure. Surgical extraction may involve making an incision, removing a small amount of bone, or dividing the tooth into sections.

Other procedures include bone grafting, sinus lifting, ridge augmentation, surgical implant placement, removal of cysts and benign lesions, exposure of impacted teeth for orthodontics, treatment of facial trauma, and corrective jaw surgery.

Orthognathic surgery may be recommended for significant jaw discrepancies that cannot be corrected with orthodontics alone. It may improve chewing, speech, facial balance, airway function, or bite alignment.

Diagnosis and planning may involve panoramic X-rays, cone beam computed tomography, medical imaging, digital surgical planning, blood tests, and collaboration with orthodontists, prosthodontists, or other specialists.

Procedures may be performed under local anesthesia, intravenous sedation, or general anesthesia. The appropriate method depends on procedure complexity, patient health, anxiety level, and treatment setting.

Recovery varies widely. Common temporary effects include swelling, bruising, discomfort, limited mouth opening, altered sensation, and dietary restrictions. Patients may need to follow instructions regarding pain medication, antibiotics, oral hygiene, physical activity, and wound care.

Potential complications include bleeding, infection, dry socket, nerve injury, sinus communication, delayed healing, scarring, and damage to adjacent structures. Severe swelling, breathing difficulty, uncontrolled bleeding, or high fever requires urgent assessment.

Surgical costs depend on procedure type, anesthesia, imaging, hospital or clinic fees, surgeon expertise, pathology testing, and follow-up care.