Do I Need An Oral Surgeon?

Have you had tooth pain for weeks now? Is your jaw unexplainably sore? Did you lose a tooth as an adult? Depending on your answers, it may be time to see an oral surgeon. If you think you have a dental emergency, it’s important to see your dentist first. If you need a surgeon, they will recommend one for you. Stop by our orthodontist serving Lombard today if you think you may need an oral surgeon.

 

Oral surgeon: the definition

An oral surgeon is a type of dentist who received special training to handle advanced procedures. These types of procedures include dental implants; TMJ issues; wisdom teeth extraction; cosmetic procedures. They can also treat certain things like oral cancers and broken jaws. An oral surgeon goes through the normal four years of dental school, but then also attends an extra four years of surgical residency at a hospital.

 

What can an oral surgeon do?

A common experience a person may have with an oral surgeon is when they get their wisdom teeth removed. However, oral surgeons do not specialize in just tooth extraction. They can also help with the following:

• Dental implants: techniques vary due to the type of implants, but oral surgeons can replace missing teeth or provide stability to new or existing dentures.
• Developmental conditions: repairing a cleft lip and palate in an infant.
• Head and neck cancer: oral cancer is included in this, and can develop when abnormal cells in the cheeks, gums, tongue, etc. grow uncontrollably.
• Facial injury and trauma: if you have a fracture in the upper or lower jaw, as well as the orbits surrounding the eyes.
• TMJ and facial pain: TMJ is temporomandibular joint pain and can cause facial pain and other symptoms.
• Facial cosmetic surgery: cosmetic procedures are becoming more common and can fix the aesthetic aspects of your face, mouth, teeth, and jaws.

 

Reasons to see an oral surgeon

If you think you have a dental emergency requiring tooth extraction or restructure, you may need an oral surgeon. Here are some reasons you may visit an oral surgeon:

• Restructuring of bone and gum tissue
• Impacted (or regular) wisdom teeth surgery
• Jaw misalignment
• Bone loss
• Oral chronic diseases or conditions

If you find problems with your teeth and gums—and it’s not an emergency—you should talk to your dentist first. If they cannot help, they will refer you to an oral surgeon. Visit our orthodontist in Lombard today. Oakbrook Orthodontics is ready to help!