Any medical procedure performed on the mouth tissues, jaws, gums, and face with local anesthesia is referred to as oral surgery. Oral surgery is a general term that includes extraction and replacement of teeth.
Oral surgery procedures range from routine teeth extractions to contouring and biopsies. Some of the oral surgeries performed at Glenridding Dental Clinic are briefly explained here.
Tooth extraction is generally followed by restoration with dental implants, bridges, or dentures. During healing after the extraction, there is a greater chance of jaw bone deformities and shrinkage of the surrounding gums resulting in the collapse of the lips and cheeks. This can be prevented by a procedure called socket preservation.
At Glenridding Dental Clinic, Edmonton, after extracting the teeth, we preserve the empty sockets with a bone graft or graft material sealed with a resorbable membrane. We then suture the gums. The procedure is always followed up with a radiograph to ensure proper healing. Graft healing usually takes four to five months before an implant is placed.
For the best results, some patients require teeth extractions as part of their orthodontic treatment. It is the primary step of any orthodontic treatment. Extractions are necessary when there is tooth overcrowding to correct protruding teeth or eliminate extra teeth that grow at odd angles impacting neighboring teeth.
Simple extraction is done on teeth that are visible above the gum line. This is a simple procedure, and the recovery time is short.
Surgical extraction requires the dentist to make an incision into a section of the gum to remove the tooth. This procedure involves more steps and time than a simple extraction.
In order to create room for best results, some patients require teeth extractions as part of their orthodontic treatment. It is indeed the primary step of any orthodontic treatment. These extractions are required when teeth are overcrowding, to correct protruding teeth or to eliminate extra teeth that grow at odd angles, impacting neighboring teeth.
Teeth overcrowding is one of the most common reasons for extraction. Here, the jaw size is smaller and doesn’t have enough room to accommodate all the teeth in the arch. Orthodontists advise removal of premolars to gain some space for teeth realignment. Tooth extraction is a surgical procedure and requires medication to numb the pain.
A biopsy may be performed during an oral cancer screening examination when the dentist comes across an abnormal lesion or growth. A biopsy is a surgical process where a small piece of tissue is removed for pathological examination to rule out any cancerous growth. An oral biopsy can be done on the gums, tongue, inside the cheeks, and the floor of the mouth.
An oral biopsy can be incisional or excisional. In an incisional biopsy, a piece of the lesion tissue and normal tissue is taken and examined against each other. In excisional, the entire lesion is removed and sent for pathological examination.