While the term “surgery” can be pretty intimidating for patients at first, the truth is that there a are a number of types of oral surgery that are beneficial and necessary for oral health. Today our Saint Louis dentists are going to be outlining a few scenarios in which surgery is appropriate…
Dental Damage
One reason that dental surgery may become necessary is because a dental infection has spread throughout your smile and reached the core of your teeth or your jawbone. Because these tissues do not regenerate on their own, our team will remove the damaged material before moving forward with restorative treatment. Remember that oral infections are most easily and conveniently treated in their earliest stages—don’t wait!
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Surgical intervention is also required to remove wisdom teeth in many cases. Many of us develop wisdom teeth that are stuck, or impacted, in the jawbone tissue. Because these teeth do not erupt along the gum line, we cannot simply pull them to extract them.
Oral Cancers
Oral surgery also becomes necessary when a patient is diagnosed with a type of oral cancer. Oral cancers usually present as tumors, and they can pop up on the tongue, gum tissue, jawbone, hard palate, and even in the sinuses. Removing the cancerous tumor is the first step in successfully treating oral cancer and achieving remission.
As you can see, there are a number of dental situations that call for surgical intervention. So, if your dental team mentions surgery as part of your treatment plan, don’t panic! Our Saint Louis dentists are here to answer any questions you may have, and to provide you with the information you need to move forward confidently.