Many people are not familiar with oral-maxillofacial surgery. This might even be the first time you’ve heard of this term, which will make you wonder what this procedure really involves and how it can benefit you.
To put it simply, oral and maxillofacial surgeons like drwalkerddsmd.com in Salt Lake City deal with treatment related to the hard and soft tissues of the face, mouth, jaws. Many consider them as medical doctors. Some think of them as part of another field of dentistry. These are both true because the procedure requires surgical expertise, as well as dental diagnosis.
Procedures for this Treatment
Unlike the usual dental procedure, this specialty deals with more comprehensive techniques to correctly position and align certain parts of the mouth, jaw, and facial features. Below are some of the most common procedures performed by an oral surgeon:
Tooth Extraction
This is probably the most common dental procedure handled by oral surgeons. Patients who usually undergo this treatment are those who have impacted wisdom tooth. The problem is due to the positioning of the dentures, which can’t either erupt or grow into a normal and proper bite. Minor surgeries are performed to correct the simple misalignments but on severe cases, the patient is usually required to undergo a number of sessions for full recovery.
Jaw or Orthognathic Surgery
This corrective surgery focuses on the repair of congenital abnormalities as well as treatment of severe orthodontic conditions involving the patient’s jaw, mouth and other face-related features, which are due to the following:
- Sleep Apnea
- Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)
- Malocclusion Problems;
- And other orthodontic problems which can’t be treated with dental braces.
Cleft Lip or Palate Surgery
This reconstructive surgery is performed to correct changes in facial structure that are usually caused by birth defects, facial trauma, accidents, and other unfortunate events. For this method, the oral surgeon removes the damaged tissue, which allows the restoration of the injured features.
In a nutshell, an oral-maxillofacial surgeon is an orthopedic specialist who deals with the reconstruction, repair, and treatment of the facial region. Regardless of what causes the injury, these professionals are sure to provide you with high standard care to bring back your perfect smile.
