Oral Surgeon in Wheeling, WV
Oral surgeons are some of the most highly skilled health care providers you will ever see. They have to be! That’s because they perform oral surgery procedures for a great variety of reasons. Dr. David Mandel at Center for Oral Surgery in Wheeling, West Virginia wants to share some of the times you may need to see an oral surgeon.
The most obvious reason you might need to visit an oral surgeon is to have one or more teeth removed. You may need teeth removed because:
- You are undergoing orthodontic treatment and need to create more space
- You have teeth that have lost too much bone around them due to periodontal disease
- You have teeth that are too badly decayed or infected to be treated by a filling or root canal
One of the most common tooth extraction procedures is to remove wisdom teeth, commonly known as third molars. Many people don’t have enough room in their jaws for wisdom teeth to erupt normally. As a result, wisdom teeth may only partially erupt, or they may not erupt at all. They can also erupt sideways, putting pressure on other teeth and causing pain. Wisdom teeth are often considered non-functional teeth and are usually removed.
You may also need to visit the oral surgeon to have dental implants placed. If you are missing teeth and decide you want dental implants, the dental implant is placed in your jaw by the oral surgeon. Over time, bone grows up around the implant and secures it in place. Your general dentist will then place the implant crown on top of the secured implant screw.
Oral biopsies are another reason you might visit an oral surgeon. If your general dentist notices a suspicious area of soft tissue in your mouth, he may suggest an oral biopsy to help diagnose the cause of the tissue change. Biopsies can indicate potentially harmful changes on a cellular level, like oral cancer.
Oral surgery has been used on patients since ancient and medieval times. Today it is a common procedure performed daily in dentist offices across America. Surgery is necessary when there are dental problems that can’t be resolved with cleanings, scaling, or other non-invasive treatments. Oral surgeons use X-rays to pinpoint the problem within the gums, jaw, bone tissue or teeth and resolve them with surgical procedures at the dentist’s office. Learn more about oral surgery and how it can benefit your dental health.
About Oral Surgery in Dentistry
Oral (maxillofacial) surgery is used to treat diseases and conditions in the head—mostly the face and jaw. Dental surgeons are the doctors who perform these types of surgeries on patients. Oral surgery is considered the oldest specialized service in the field of dentistry.
Types of Oral Surgery
There are a number of procedures that fall under the umbrella of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Most either involve removing something that’s causing a problem or adding something that will help reconstruct your smile. Here are a few of the most common types of oral surgery:
- Removal of wisdom teeth
- Extraction of an infected tooth
- Periodontal surgery to clear up infections
- Bone grafting surgery to reinforce and regrow bone tissue
- Installation of dental implants
- Surgery to relieve pain due to TMJ disorder
- Removal of cysts, tumors or other growths in the mouth
Benefits of Oral Surgery
Oral surgery allows your dentist to remove problems that are causing pain or discomfort and give your mouth a chance to heal. Some procedures help restructure your smile to improve your overall facial appearance. Many patients are happy to learn that most oral surgeries will happen in the comfort of the dentist’s office, instead of a hospital.