Oral Surgery

Oral surgery involves diagnosing and treating oral conditions that require surgical intervention. These may include:

Tooth extraction

Reasons for removing a tooth include:

• Extensive decay
• A baby tooth that has failed to fall out
• An impacted wisdom tooth
• A broken tooth
• Making more space for orthodontic treatment

Dental implants

This involves placing implants in the jawbone to which replacement teeth are later fitted. Dental implants are a long-lasting solution to missing teeth and can also provide increased stability to a new or existing denture.

Jaw correction

This type of surgery is performed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons in a hospital setting by referral and common reasons for carrying it out include:

• Temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ)
• Trauma to the jaw
• Misaligned bite
• Clenching or grinding of the teeth
• Difficulty chewing or eating
• Incorrect jaw position

Detection and treatment of disease

During regular check-ups, dentists will look for signs of oral cancer and if necessary a surgical biopsy may be undertaken. If cancer is detected, surgery is also used as a treatment method.