Oral Surgeons: When Should You Visit One?

What is an oral surgeon? In short, it is a dentist who completed, not only four years of dental school, but also four years of surgical residency at a hospital. All of that extra training helps this specialist develop skills to handle advanced dental procedures.

If you struggle with advanced dental issues, your general dentist will likely send you to an oral surgeon in Union. Let’s take a closer look at oral surgeons and the services that they provide.

Is Oral Surgery the Right Choice?

Millions of Americans live with dental discomfort. Many of them have visited their general dentists to no avail. Thankfully, there’s still help out there through oral surgery.

The truth is that oral surgeons can correct a large number of dental issues that general dentists can’t. If you find yourself with a dental problem that your regular dentist couldn’t fix, oral surgery might be the right choice.

For example, let’s say that you have some wisdom teeth starting to come in incorrectly. This can cause the wisdom teeth to become impacted. At that point, you no longer need a regular dentist but an oral surgeon. The surgeon can easily remove impacted wisdom teeth and relieve your discomfort.

Another time that you might visit an oral surgeon is if you’ve lost teeth because of an accident or infection. In such a situation, you might need dental implants. An oral surgeon can make sure that your implants are put in the perfect location that’s strong enough for the jaw to support the implants.

Oral Surgeons Solve Many Jaw-related Dental Problems

One reason a general dentist will typically send you to an oral surgeon is for jaw-related dental problems. Oral surgeons in Union excel at helping individuals, just like you, overcome dental problems related to their jaws. Let’s look at some of the most common jaw issues that oral surgeons deal with.

Dentures That Don’t Fit Properly

One common issue that’s related to the jaw that most people don’t know is ill-fitting dentures. If your dentures aren’t fitting correctly, it’s usually because of a jaw irregularity. While this is something that your general dentist can’t do much about, an oral surgeon can correct the irregularity so that your dentures fit properly.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

The temporomandibular joint is a common area of the jaw that oral surgeons work with. Disorders that affect the TMJ can cause a lot of suffering, such as aching facial pains and difficulty opening and closing your jaw. Solving issues with the TMJ typically requires the help of an oral surgeon.

Uneven Jaw Growth

Usually, the jaw grows equally on both sides of the face. In some situations, though, it grows unevenly or isn’t equal on both sides. This generally affects how people speak, eat and even breath. Dental surgeons can even out the jaw, eliminating these issues.

Injuries to the Face That Damage the Jaw or Teeth

Sometimes, serious injuries can damage not only your teeth but also your jaw and facial bones. Depending on the amount of damage, you may require an oral surgeon to restore your jaw and facial bones to working order. Certain facial injuries can make it difficult to talk or chew, while others can become infected, leading to other problems.

Cleft Palates

Oral surgeons can help with cleft palates, which is a disorder that can result in a gap forming in your lip. It can also cause a slit to form in the roof of your mouth. This can severely limit your ability to speak or eat properly. It can even cause other dental issues if the problem expands into the gums.

Oral Surgeon Recommendations Before and After Surgery

Before you go in for surgery, your surgeon will give you a set of instructions that you must follow. These steps have to do with what and when you can eat and drink. If you’re undergoing general anesthesia, you can’t eat at least eight hours before your surgery. For local anesthesia, you should avoid eating an hour or two before surgery.

Once your surgery is over, you’ll want to make sure that you eat soft foods for a while. Your surgeon will tell you how long you should avoid hard foods. During this time, it can be difficult to get all of the nutrition that you need. Thankfully, supplements such as Boost or Ensure can provide the daily nutrition that you need until you can go back to eating solid foods.

Important Tips From Your Oral Surgeon

Aside from the instructions from your surgeon, there are some other things that you can do to make the whole process easier.

Firstly, contact your oral surgeon to find out if you’ll need any prescription medication after your surgery. If you will, you can have your prescription ready for pickup the day of your surgery. Also, you may want to ensure that a family member or friend can pick it up for you because you probably won’t feel like going anywhere.

Secondly, make sure that you arrange for transportation. Most of the time, dental surgery involves the use of some kind of anesthesia. This means that you’ll be unable to drive home afterward. Have a friend or family member take you to your appointment so that you have a ride home as well.

If you have any other concerns, contact your oral surgeon. The surgeon or staff can answer any questions that you may have.

Visiting an Oral Surgeon in Union

Have you determined that it’s time to see an oral surgeon? Then, give us a call. We provide oral surgery in Union. If you’re not sure whether you need surgery, visit your local dentist to determine if it’s the right choice for you. Once you’re ready, contact us to set up a consultation.