Oral surgery

Would you like to benefit from dental implantology, but you do not have enough bone for the insertion of the implants? Have you heard something about bone regeneration, but you would like to know more? Do you suffer from periodontitis and would like to resolve the problem of your teeth being unstable? If so, then read the following article, which describes the man characteristics of the various types of procedures referred to with the term oral surgery, and which could possibly be of use in solving your problems …

What is oral surgery?

Also known as odontostomatological surgery, it is the branch of dentistry that covers a range of surgical procedures which can be carried out inside the oral cavity in order to resolve a variety of different problems.

The types of operations classifiable under oral surgery regard different pathologies and imperfections of the teeth and the mouth. The best-known and most widespread procedures are described below.

Tooth extraction

Of all oral surgery procedures, the best known and most widespread is tooth extraction. This type of procedure can be carried out for a variety of reasons: a tooth suffering from decay or cracking due to a blow; periodontal disease; teeth that overlap or are blocked by other teeth; an infected tooth; granuloma growths that cannot be removed surgically; when there are roots that must be removed because otherwise they will rot.

Obviously tooth extraction is the method of last resort when it comes to oral surgery for a problem tied to the teeth, being carried out only when there is no other alternative. In any event, it is always the dentist who decides whether or not a tooth should be pulled.

Periodontal procedure

In the case of patients suffering from periodontitis, periodontal pockets can form, meaning empty spaces between the teeth caused by recession of the bone. In such cases, the bacterial plaque cannot be removed with a normal toothbrush, and so, if the pockets are more than 5 mm deep, then periodontal surgery is performed.

This makes it possible to remove the bacteria inside and at the bottoms of the pockets. The procedure is carried out by making a small incision in the gum, in order to be able to clean the surfaced of the teeth.

A periodontal procedure can save teeth even when they were already loose and seemed sure to fall out.

Dental implantology

Implantology is a technique of oral surgery used to replace a missing tooth by inserting an artificial root made of titanium (the dental implant) directly into the jawbone.

The implant must integrate itself perfectly with the bone. This process is referred to as osseointegration, a term coined by Professor Branemark in the late 1960’s.

Once osseointegration has occurred, the prosthesis is bonded onto the prosthesis. To increase the chances of the procedure’s success, the prosthesis should not be applied immediately after the insertion of the implant, but only after a period of from 3 to 6 months has passed (Columbia University, New York).

Bone regeneration

Dental implantology is not always possible, seeing that, without sufficient bone, the implants cannot be inserted. But thanks to bone regeneration, bone tissue can be reconstructed and then used for the insertion of the implant.

This technique involves inserting new bone material that, once it fills the defect in the lost bone, will form the new bone tissue.

Different types of materials can be used: a piece of bone from the patient’s own body, taken from the jaw or the cranium, or artificial bone made of synthetic, biocompatible material. In the second case, the synthetic material is irrigated with blood and then made a part of the bone.

Gnathology

Orthognatic surgery, or corrective surgery of the jaw, can be the solution to a variety of different problems. One of these is bite disorders, meaning failure of the upper and lower arches to align when the mouth is closed.

This type of situation can cause problems with the temporo-mandibular joint, resulting in headaches, shoulder and neck aches, grinding of the teeth and whistling of the ears, as well as damage done directly to the teeth, such as gum recession, which can leave teeth unstable.

The Freesmile Centre offers alternatives therapies for the treatment of bite disorders