What is reconstructive oral surgery, and when would our dentists recommend this procedure for our patients? Here, our Yarmouth dentists offer some facts and signs about when patients may require this treatment.
What is reconstructive oral surgery?
Accidents can happen at any time. Falls and incidents at work., sports injuries, facial trauma and car accidents can all cause scary injuries to your teeth and mouth. Trauma sustained through these kinds fo accidents can also impact your long-term oral health.
An oral surgeon may recommend this dental surgery procedure to restore appearance and function to your smile. Facial reconstruction surgery can actually be broken into two categories: soft tissue injuries and fractures.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries cover trauma to the gums or skin, such as cuts on the tongue, lips or inside of your cheek. These may also include lacerations to the hard or soft palate.
Fractures
If the small bone tissues in your mouth become injured, like your teeth, jaw and facial bones, they may require reconstruction.
If you’ve suffered severe facial injuries to the forehead or nasal cavities you might require a larger reconstructive surgery.
As you can probably imagine, acquiring a jaw defect from an earlier surgery or facial trauma can impact your quality of life, both in appearance and function. Your jaw helps you speak, eat and smile.
You might require facial reconstructive surgery if you receive any of these dental services:
- Wisdom tooth removal
- Dental implants
- Jaw surgery
- Bone grafting
What does reconstructive surgery involve?
Facial injuries like knocked-out teeth and traumatic injuries to the face or head can leave patients with difficulty eating, speaking chewing or living a generally good quality life. We use reconstructive surgeries to replace and repair missing or damaged teeth, correct jaw issues and treat damage to gums and bone.
Depending on your injury or circumstance, dental implants or other treatment options may be used to repair bone structure and jaw alignment.
Maxillofacial Reconstruction
Maxillofacial reconstruction is an umbrella encompassing a number of procedures, from bone grafts to transplants with blood vessels for large and complex defects. This dental surgery can correct a whole range of health issues and injuries affecting the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial area.
Rehabilitation
After an oral and maxillofacial surgeon has completed the reconstructive oral surgery, the oral cavity (teeth and gums) must be rehabilitated and lost teeth and gums will be replaced so you can speak, eat and swallow normally again.
Our oral and maxillofacial surgeon at SouthWest Dental is uniquely qualified to provide comprehensive surgical care, guiding you through every stage of treatment, including:
- Dental implant placement
- Ablative resection
- Microvascular reconstruction
While reconstructive surgeries can sound intimidating, our dental and oral surgery team at SouthWest Dental is here to answer any questions you may have and address concerns throughout treatment.
