What Does an Oral Surgeon Do? A Brief Overview

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Have you been putting off visiting an oral surgeon because you aren’t sure what they do?

An oral surgeon is a doctor who specializes in working with the mouth and teeth. But if you are the still wondering “What does an oral surgeon do?” and why you need the one, read on.

We’ll be going into more detail than a dentist’s pamphlet can provide.

Education and Training

To become an oral surgeon, one must embark on a rigorous educational journey. First, you get a bachelor’s degree. After that, you spend four years in dental school to become a dentist.

But, becoming an oral surgeon means going even further. You need to do a training program lasting four to six years.

During this time, you learn how to do all sorts of surgeries. This intense education prepares oral surgeons for complex surgical tasks.

Common Procedures

Oral surgeons are proficient in a wide array of procedures. These range from routine extractions to complex reconstructive surgeries. Here are some of the most common procedures they perform:

Tooth Removal

Sometimes, teeth need to be taken out, but it’s not as simple as a regular dentist visit. Oral surgeons are experts at removing tricky teeth, especially wisdom teeth.

Dental Implants

When someone is missing a tooth and needs a replacement, oral surgeons are the ones who can put in dental implants. These are like artificial teeth anchored in your jawbone.

Fixing Jaw Problems

Imagine if your jaw didn’t line up right, making it hard to eat or talk. Oral surgeons can perform surgeries to fix this, so everything works as it should.

Cleft Lip and Palate

In babies born with a split lip or roof of the mouth, oral surgeons help fix it. This is so they can eat, talk, and look like everyone else.

Facial Trauma

In cases of facial injuries resulting from accidents or other traumatic events, oral surgeons step in. They reconstruct damaged facial structures. These include such as broken jaws or fractured cheekbones.

Oral Pathology

Oral surgeons are skilled at diagnosing and treating various oral diseases, including oral cancer. They may perform biopsies and surgical excisions when necessary. They can figure out if you have a disease like oral cancer and do surgeries to treat it.

TMJ Disorders

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders can cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw. Oral surgeons can recommend and perform surgeries to reduce these issues.

Anesthesia and Sedation

One thing that makes oral surgeons special is that they can use different methods to make sure you don’t feel pain or get scared during oral surgery. They can use numbing shots or even make you sleep through the whole thing with a special medicine called anesthesia.

Collaboration with Other Specialists

Oral surgeons don’t work alone. They often team up with other medical experts and different types of dental specialists who focus on specific areas of oral health.

Each surgeon has a dental specialty and a unique role in keeping your mouth and teeth healthy. Working together helps make sure you get the best care possible.