Any person at any time may need to have oral surgery. Many people have oral surgery when their wisdom teeth are removed. However, oral surgery may also be used for corrective jaw surgery, facial reconstruction, bone grafts, sinus lifts, root canal treatment and dental implants.

Types of oral surgery

Any type of oral surgery usually involves a same day or overnight hospital stay with preparation for the surgery, such as not smoking or using blood-thinning medication. In some cases, you may need to fast for a period before.

The oral surgeon explains all aspects of the surgery to patients beforehand, such as the risks, complications, side-effects, benefits and costs. Aftercare forms an important part of a pre-oral surgery consultation too.

Intravenous (IV) sedation may be used to administer an anaesthetic for pain-free treatment. In some cases, local anaesthetic is enough, but depending on the complexity of the oral surgery, general anaesthetic may be needed.

Surgical procedures

Each oral surgery procedure encompasses different surgical techniques and recovery times may differ. For example, wisdom teeth may be extracted using incisions and surgical instruments if they are partially erupted or impact neighbouring teeth. Bone impaction may lead to infection, therefore it is critical to remove impacted wisdom teeth that pose any risk to the body.

Similarly, it is important to remove oral cysts, as infection may spread through tooth root canals leading to tooth loss, systemic infection and heart conditions. While not having oral surgery is an option, leaving severe oral injuries, traumas and conditions untreated can be detrimental not just to oral health but to general health as well.

Oral surgeons are present in medical emergency units to treat people suffering facial, jaw and oral injuries.

All oral surgeries carry risks, such as pain, infection, swelling and bleeding. However, opting not to have a recommended oral surgery may result in further medical emergency or be life threatening. Contact the team at Harley Street Dental Studio in the heart of London for more information on oral surgery.