Just mentioning the word dentist can strike fear among people. A large part of that fear consists of the unknown. Dental work isn’t something that we have done every day, so naturally, you could be anxious if something is needed other than your regular cleaning. What about dental surgery? Something that not everyone needs, but perhaps you are the unlucky one needing one! Let’s discuss ten common types of dental surgeries so that you can be informed as to what will take place.
Dental Implants
Sadly, everyone is not born with a perfect strong set of teeth to last their lifetime. Dental implants are the answer when your teeth begin to fail. It is a lengthier procedure that isn’t completed in a single visit. Dental implants are the perfect solution for missing teeth due to decay, periodontal disease, or that baseball to the face. Initially, a small titanium post (this simulates the tooth root) is placed into the socket of the bone where the tooth is missing. It can take up to 12 weeks for it to completely heal around this post and become firmly implanted and secure in the jaw. Then the artificial tooth, or crown, is attached to the titanium post. The tooth will be designed according to your bite and can be coloured to match your existing teeth. The good news is that most say that there is very little discomfort with this surgery.
Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Wisdom teeth are those permanent adult teeth that are located in the back upper and lower corners of your mouth. As a fairly common procedure, wisdom teeth extraction can consist of one or all four wisdom teeth. If you have an abundance of room in your mouth, the wisdom teeth might not create any havoc in your mouth. However, if there is no room to grow, then these teeth can become impacted, meaning they may not fully come in or may begin to grow in a different direction. This has the potential of causing you a great deal of pain or infection. Even if your wisdom teeth are not impacted, some dentists will encourage extraction to prevent future preventable issues. This may sound like it would painful, but a good dentist will provide you with the right pain management plan while you recover.
Periodontal Surgery
Periodontitis is a gum disease that needs to be given proper attention. If left untreated, it can spread and destroy the bone that exists to support your teeth. One thing that can cause gum disease is receding gums. Why? The lower your gum recedes, the more the tooth root is exposed, leaving it vulnerable to decay and can increase sensitivity. This may require a gum graft. Depending on the extent of the recession and gum tissue available will define what type of graft might be needed. This is a simple and quick procedure. Any pain afterwards can be managed with over-the-counter medications. What may cause more frustration is the healing time because you need to limit yourself to soft foods and nothing hot to drink.
Root Canal
People often reference a root canal when referring to something uncomfortable, saying, “I’d rather have a root canal.” However, here is something you may not be aware of. Usually, the most painful part is whatever is causing the tooth to need a root canal. The inside soft contents of the tooth is called the pulp. The tooth pulp consists of nerves, blood vessels, and tissue. Sometimes the pulp of a tooth becomes injured or infected. You can’t just leave it that way. When infection or damage presents itself, it will spread and breakdown quickly. Then you can develop something truly painful, an abscess (this is an infection-filled pocket on the tooth’s root). This can all be avoided with a root canal. This procedure will remove the damaged pulp and clean the inside of the tooth. Then a filling will provide protection for the tooth again.
Dental Bone Graft
It’s not just teeth your dentist deals with as it can sometimes be necessary to deal with jawbones from bone loss. When your natural teeth are missing bone deterioration can occur because there are no teeth roots to stimulate the nerves in that area. Talking of jaws…
Corrective Jaw Surgery
Otherwise known as orthognathic surgery this is a procedure that is done to correct irregularities within your jawbone and realign it. There can be a number of reasons you would need this type of operation but despite sounding complicated it is quite commonly performed.
Cleft Lip Repair
Worldwide about one in every 1,600 babies are born with a cleft lip which means they might consider oral and maxillofacial surgery on it earlier or later in life. In case you were wondering a cleft lip occurs when the facial structures doesn’t fully develop in the womb.
Tooth Fillings
Count yourself fortunate if you have never had a cavity. Sometimes, it does not matter how impeccable your dental hygiene habits are, you get a cavity. That is going to require a filling to stop that decay from spreading. This is the most common procedure performed and is not painful at all. The tooth is restored to its original form, and you should not experience any further problems with the tooth.
Teeth Bonding
Teeth are moderately strong and durable, but biting down the wrong way on a piece of ice can crack a tooth. Perhaps you have one tooth that is slightly longer than the others or one that is a different shade. Teeth bonding is the perfect dental procedure. A composite resin is used to match the colour and shape of your existing teeth. The bonding will look so natural that most will not even recognize that you had anything done. No worry about time and pain. This procedure is usually a simple in and out of the office.
Tooth Extraction
Sometimes it is not a wisdom tooth that needs to be removed. There are several reasons that a tooth may have to be removed. Your mouth may be too crowded to house all of your teeth or just wear and tear on a tooth requires it to be removed. This is not something that you should be afraid of because it is a relatively simple procedure. Your dentist will provide a numbing agent that will render the procedure painless. The socket will then be cleaned, and if necessary, it will be sutured, and you will be on your way to healing.