Common Oral Surgery Procedures at Greater Maryland Oral Surgery & Dental Implants

When you’re looking for oral surgeons who perform both common and uncommon surgical procedures, look no further than the team in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, and Frederick. An oral or maxillofacial surgeon performs operations on your teeth, jaw, or the structures in your face. Any oral surgeon undergoes years of specialized training that extends beyond primary dentistry, and this usually includes training in anesthesia.

Common Oral Surgery Procedures

Apicoectomy

With this surgical procedure, your oral surgeon will remove the tooth’s root tip and put a different material in the space. You’ll need an apicoectomy if your tooth’s root has a hook at the bottom that prevents your oral surgeon from completing a root canal. This is because the hooked growth on the tooth’s root tip prevents the dentist from getting the necessary tools down into the end of the root, so they can’t clean the nerve material out of the tooth. Along with being painful, this opens your tooth up for infection.

Dental Implants

Dental implants can replace teeth when you lose a tooth in a visible or non-visible location. Generally, surgery with dental implants is more complex, and you may require more than one surgery to complete it. To start, your oral surgeon in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, and Frederick will implant a post for the fake tooth through your gum into your jawbone. You may also require a bone graft if you have a poor bone structure in this space to give the implant a sturdy anchor. Once this space heals, you’ll come back for a second appointment, where the oral surgeon will put a custom dental implant onto the post to help improve your smile and restore the correct alignment in your jaw.

Tooth Extraction

Decay or general wear and tear can cause your tooth to crack, break, or make it more prone to infection. To remedy this, you’ll need your oral surgeon in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, and Frederick to extract this problem tooth or teeth. When you schedule your appointment, our oral surgeon will remove the tooth and clean out the socket before placing a suture to ensure the space heals nicely. Extraction is usually the best route if you have a tooth or teeth that are so infected that standard treatment methods won’t fix it. It’s also common to extract teeth in preparation for dental implants or dentures.

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Most people get their wisdom teeth between 17 and 20. These additional molars give you more chewing power, and they may come in without any issues. However, it’s common for people to have problems as these teeth start to come in. You may require wisdom teeth extraction if they crowd your existing teeth or fail to erupt all of the way. Most people only have minor discomfort with this surgery and recover in a few days.

Complicated Oral Surgery Procedures

Not every oral surgeon is qualified to perform the following procedures. Their training and specialties will dictate what they can and can’t do, and more complex surgical procedures include:

Bone Repair

If you have a fractured or broken jaw, many doctors recommend oral surgery for treatment. Severe jaw injuries or breaks can make eating or breathing difficult, so you need to address them as quickly as possible. Our oral surgeons are specialists who will help determine how severe your fracture or break is and how to repair it.

Cleft Lip or Palate

It’s very common for plastic surgeons to perform cleft lip or palate surgery on children. However, maxillofacial or oral surgeons take specialized training for cases where a cleft lip or palate starts to cause problems with eating or speech development. While this isn’t nearly as common as fixing this issue in smaller children, it’s a great example of how these specialized surgeons are part of a larger healthcare team.

Facial Reconstruction

Blunt-force trauma to the face can cause knocked-out teeth, broken bones, and broken jaws. You’ll need a maxillofacial or oral surgeon to help restore your appearance and reconstruct your face, including your jaw, mouth, or face, following the incident or accident. These more extensive surgical procedures usually require general anesthesia, and you may have to stay overnight in the hospital after surgery for additional monitoring. If you have more severe trauma that requires facial reconstruction, you may have several procedures over a few months or years.

Sleep Apnea

Surgery is a standard treatment option if you have sleep apnea. Your oral surgeon may recommend removing tissue from the throat and soft palate to make breathing easier. They may also recommend implants in the soft palate or tongue advancement.

What Happens During Oral Surgery?

To start, your oral surgeon will perform an extensive evaluation to check your jaw joints, teeth, gums, and surrounding structures. It’s also common for them to order dental x-rays and scans to get a clear picture of your teeth’ roots, jawbone, nerves, and other structures. Then, they’ll take these results and tailor a customized plan.

Sometimes, you’ll have your oral surgery on an outpatient basis in the dental office. You may also choose sedation options to help keep you comfortable during the procedure, including nitrous oxide, oral sedation, or IV sedation. There are moderate and deep sedation options available, and more complex cases may require you to have your surgery in a hospital under general anesthesia.

After the surgery, your surgeon will give you a detailed list with your post-operative instructions. You must follow everything outlined in the papers to reduce your risks of complications, like bleeding or infections.

Greater Maryland Oral Surgery & Dental Implants Has Oral Surgeons in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, and Frederick

We have oral surgeons on staff at Greater Maryland Oral Surgery & Dental Implants in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, and Frederick who are ready to take on your common or complex dental problems. Whether you need dental implants, wisdom teeth removal, or facial trauma that requires reconstruction, our teams in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, and Frederick are ready to help you.

We will guide you through your procedure step-by-step and do everything possible to keep you comfortable before, during, and after the procedure. Contact us to book an appointment.

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