What is oral surgery?
Oral surgery is a field within dentistry that focuses on surgically treating conditions affecting the tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions. It includes performing surgeries on the mouth, jaw, and face and assisting patients with lumps, cysts, or tumors in their jaws. Oral surgery impacts both the function and appearance of these regions.
To ascertain patients' needs and treatment goals, oral surgeons consult with them and examine their data and history. They collaborate on treatment plans with specialists like orthodontists and restorative dentists. Oral surgeons maintain thorough patient appointment notes that include information on test results, recommended therapies, suggested testing, and comments. They also prescribe medication to manage pain following surgical procedures, aid patient recovery, and provide local and general anesthetics when needed.
Education and training of an oral surgeon
To become oral surgeons, candidates must attain certification in oral and maxillofacial surgery by choosing one of the following routes:
- A six-year training program including a medical degree, four to six months of anesthesia training, and one to two years of general surgery residency or
- A four-year certificate program comprising a year of medical school with off-duty rotations and four to six months of anesthesiology
In either program, the average time spent on the oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) specialty is between 30 and 36 months. Most candidates write their final specialized exams after completing their surgical training.
The American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is the certifying organization in the United States for this particular subspecialty. However, a dental license is the only requirement for practicing oral surgery in South and Central America. Different regions have different lengths of clinical training and ranges of practice.
When should you consult an oral surgeon
Several conditions might require the assistance of an oral surgeon near you. These include tooth extractions and the management of accompanying problems or oral infections that may have dental origins. Additionally, you might need surgery to facilitate orthodontic (braces) treatments or removal of impacted teeth. Unlike a dental appointment, you cannot just go to an oral surgeon and have a treatment done. You must seek guidance regarding your circumstances first.
Oral surgeons have extra training and education beyond a dentist's. The most common reason for visiting them is pain or problems with dental functionality. During the appointment, they can check your oral cavity and provide a diagnosis. Once they have identified the issue, they can choose the best course of action, which occasionally entails extensive surgical interventions and, in most cases, a more straightforward yet efficient solution.
Oral surgeons and cosmetic surgery
Since oral and maxillofacial surgeons have extensive training in the anatomy and physiology of facial structures, including the interactions between the bones, muscles, nerves, and tissues of the head, neck, and facial structures, they can also expertly perform aesthetic procedures.
The American Dental Association's revision to its old definition of dental practice helped pave the way for this scope-of-practice extension. They expanded the previous definition of dentistry from "teeth and surrounding and supporting structures" to include the maxillofacial region and other areas. This new concept has been incorporated into the laws of some states, allowing practitioners to perform medical and cosmetic treatments on the face and potentially other body regions.
What procedures do oral surgeons perform?
Oral surgeons can perform a range of medical procedures, including the following:
- Tooth extraction: Such an extraction or removal is the most common oral surgery. Doctors recommend this procedure if you have dental trauma or injury, tooth decay, gum disease, or complications of the wisdom tooth. Sometimes, they perform a tooth extraction to prepare you for prosthetic devices and dentures.
- Corrective jaw surgery: This surgery helps fix any skeletal abnormalities in your jaw structure. Doctors can suggest this treatment to fix facial misalignment and chewing problems. You can also opt for corrective jaw surgery if you suffer from TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder, which causes pain and tenderness in your jaw muscles, joints, and surrounding ligaments.
- Sleep apnea surgery: When the tissues at the back of your throat block the airway when you sleep, the condition is known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Doctors can treat this condition with oral appliance therapy or a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. However, if non-surgical methods do not work, they will surgically remove parts of the palate, tonsils, and uvula (the tissue behind the tongue). This procedure is also known as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.
- Periodontal surgery can benefit those with moderate or severe gum disease. During the surgery, the doctor cuts the gum line to temporarily separate the tissue from behind the teeth. Next, they clean the roots to eliminate bacteria or plaque buildup. Finally, they reposition the gum tissue and stitch it into place.
How does one recover from oral surgery?
Taking good care of the mouth after oral surgery can help make a quick, easy recovery. If you recently underwent surgery and are on your path to recovery, the following tips may be helpful:
- Follow your doctor's instructions: Your dentist will list specific oral hygiene tips you should follow after surgery. These can include not brushing or using mouthwash, rinsing your mouth with saline water, or not brushing only the tender spots inside your mouth.
- Use an ice pack: It is usual for your face to bruise or swell after oral surgery. Apply an ice pack to your jaws for half an hour, remove it for 15 minutes, and repeat this a few times while switching the sides of your mouth. The swelling should reduce in 2-3 days.
- Prevent bleeding: You might experience some bleeding the day after the surgery. Fold a piece of gauze and gently bite it to stop the blood flow. See your dentist if the bleeding lasts over a day or is so heavy that you must replace the gauze multiple times.
- Be careful about what you eat: After oral surgery, avoid too hot, too cold, chewy, or spicy foods. Instead, choose soft foods like yogurt, oatmeal, and applesauce.
- Monitor your health: If you have a fever, infection, breathing problem, or swelling for more than 48 hours after the surgery, contact your doctor immediately.
What foods to avoid for healthy teeth?
To maintain oral health, one can consider avoiding the following foods:
- Potato chips: They contain a lot of starch, which sticks to the crevices between the teeth, forming plaque and resulting in tooth decay. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid eating chips or other fried products.
- Sour candies: Any candy can be unhealthy for the teeth and gums. Sour candies contain different acids that can affect the teeth. They are chewy and can stick to the teeth for extended periods, causing plaque build and tooth decay.
- Alcohol: Alcohol is unhealthy for the body, including the teeth and gums. Saliva keeps teeth healthy by washing away leftover food particles and preventing foods from sticking to them. Alcohol intake makes the mouth dry, which increases the chances of gum disease, oral infections, and tooth decay.
- Carbonated drinks: Carbonated soda increases the acidity levels in the mouth, affecting the tooth enamel. Moreover, the mouth becomes dry, increasing the risk of gum disease and tooth decay. Dark color soda can even stain or discolor the teeth.
- Ice: Chewing ice could damage your tooth enamel and increase the chances of a dental emergency. Chewing hard substances may result in broken, chipped, or cracked teeth or loose crowns.
- Bread: Bread and saliva mix in the mouth to form a gummy or sticky substance that could enter the crevices between the teeth. The saliva also breaks down the starch into sugar. If the mouth is not cleaned correctly after eating, the leftover sugar deposits on the teeth could cause cavities.
Finding the top oral surgeons near you in Spring, Texas
Zocdoc is among the best sites to find top-rated oral and maxillofacial surgeons in Spring, Texas. To get started, visit the website and enter your desired type of healthcare professional, condition or issue, preferred appointment day and time, residential address, and zip code. Once you enter all your information in the search fields, Zocdoc will comb through its database of oral surgeons and provide you with a list of specialists best suited to meet your needs.
If you want to find a doctor who accepts your insurance, add your insurance information (your insurance provider and plan) on the Zocdoc search. It will help you see in-network providers who accept your plan. On Zocdoc, you can see accurate results of in-network oral surgeons near you. Check out Zocdoc's patient help center for more information and solutions related to insurance.
Each oral surgeon featured on Zocdoc has a unique profile that documents their knowledge and years of training, employment history, work preferences, licenses, certifications, accreditations, and other achievements in their field. You can obtain this data by scrolling through your curated list of practitioners and clicking on the doctors' names. These profiles also detail the surgeons' locations and schedules, gender, what languages they can fluently speak, and the types of health insurance they accept. Additionally, every Zocdoc profile includes verified patient reviews and ratings to help you make an informed choice. Once you've finalized an oral surgeon near you, you can schedule in-person and online appointments using Zocdoc.
All bookings on Zocdoc are simple, secure, and 100% free!
Oral health statistics in Spring, Texas
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that as of May 2021, approximately 5,330 oral and maxillofacial surgeons were practicing in the country.
Oral diseases may have a lifetime impact on people, causing pain, discomfort, disfigurement, and even death. As per the Global Burden of Disease Study of 2019, almost 3.5 billion people worldwide suffer from oral disorders, with caries (cavities) of permanent teeth being the most prevalent ailment. Estimates indicate that nearly 2 billion adults globally are thought to have permanent tooth decay, while about 520 million children experience primary tooth decay. Unplanned (emergency) dental care costs the U.S. economy around $45 billion annually in lost productivity and results in the loss of close to 34 million school hours annually.
Sources
Harvard School of Dental Medicine
American Academy of Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons
National Library of Medicine
U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics
World Health Organisation
Cleveland Clinic[1]
Cleveland Clinic[2]
WebMD[1]
WebMD[2]
WebMD[3]
Healthline
