Dental surgery
Dental surgery is an area of dentistry which involves the surgical treatment of oral cavities and their surrounding areas. The most common treatment that patients associate with dental surgery is tooth extraction. However there are many more reasons when a dental surgery may be required including:
- complex endodontic cases, such as root resections
- periodontal disease, when dental surgery treatment such as curettage, gingival flap surgery or gingivectomy may be required
- pre-prosthetic surgery, whereby an oral cavity is prepared for prosthetic treatment
- when preparing for orthodontic treatment
- implants
Surgical operations most commonly conducted in dental practices include:
- tooth extraction – removal of teeth which cannot be saved in the course of preventative treatment but also retained teeth, broken or teeth not fully developed, or teeth that must be removed due to impending orthodontic or prosthetic treatment
- wisdom tooth extraction
- root resection involving the removal of the top of a root and the surrounding problem area. This is usually performed on teeth with only a single root
- hemisection – conducted on multiple rooted teeth and involves the removal of one or more roots whilst leaving the remainder intact.
- vestibuloplasty
- treatment of complicated abscesses
- treatment of orofacial fistulas
Additionally patients with injuries (resulting from sport or playing) or caused by accidents or assault often need the dental surgeon’s help. In such cases the following treatment may be required:
- teeth transpositions
- splinting of teeth
- stabilisation of teeth and bones
The success of treatment and the selection of the most appropriate treatment strategy always go hand in hand with care for the patient’s well being. The thought of surgery can cause some patients to become concerned, fearing the operation itself, complications and possible associated pain. Therefore, each patient is prepared for surgery. The dentist explains the entire treatment plan, its various stages, and possible repercussions. Prior to the commencing, the patient will receive the appropriate measure of sedative and painkillers for the particular operation. All dental operations are conducted under aesthetic in a sterile environment. After the operation the patient remains care for so that the entire treatment is successful and the patient is able to recover quickly.