While oral surgery may initially seem like a daunting or intimidating proposition, this type of treatment can transform the way your smile looks and functions for the better. Today our Mill Valley dentists are sharing some information about situations in which oral surgery may become necessary. We hope that this overview helps you better understand what is possible in the world of modern dentistry.
Dental Damage
Oral surgery can become necessary when minor dental infections—in gum tissues or specific teeth—damage parts of your smile beyond repair. In these situations, it is crucial that we remove infected tissues, so that we can stop the spread of the infection, and so that we can use restorative dentistry to rebuild the patient’s smile.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Many patients end up needing oral surgery in order to remove problematic wisdom teeth. Surgical intervention is especially useful in treating teeth that are impacted or stuck in the patient’s jawbone. Because these teeth cannot be pulled, we need to go into the jawbone tissue to retrieve them.
Oral Cancers
Additionally, maxillofacial surgery will become necessary if you are diagnosed with a type of oral cancer. Whether the tumor presents on your gums, jawbone, tongue, hard palate, or sinuses, removal is the first step in successful treatment. Remember that our dental team completes an oral cancer screening as part of every semi-annual cleaning, so keep up with a dentist-recommended schedule.
As you can see oral surgery is an indispensable tool in your oral health toolbox. This type of treatment can improve the appearance and the function of your smile, while treating serious oral health issues. As always, our Mill Valley dentists are here to give you any additional information or guidance that you may need. Please reach out to our team by phone or through our Contact Us page to get started!