Being told you’re in need of oral surgery may cause a note of alarm. Contrary to what you may fear, oral surgery includes a number of fairly common procedures, and needing it doesn’t necessarily indicate anything serious is wrong. Dr. David Carl Obenchain provides skilled and experienced oral surgery treatments to those patients for whom it becomes necessary.
What Is Oral Surgery?
Oral surgery or, more accurately, oral and maxillofacial surgery includes any surgery that is performed on the areas of your face, head, jaw, gums, teeth, or the tissues around your mouth. The most common forms of oral surgery include treatments for sleep apnea, wisdom tooth extraction, and jaw surgery, reconstructive surgery, and placement of dental implants. In each of these cases, treatment beyond general dentistry is necessary to successfully address the problem.
- Wisdom Tooth Extraction –In almost every case where wisdom teeth are present, they require removal by a skilled surgeon. Failure to remove them can lead to impaction of the teeth or misaligned. Tooth decay and gum disease are also common in cases where they aren’t removed, making oral surgery necessary.
- Sleep Apnea –Sleep Apnea is a growing concern in the United States, and there are surgical options for treating the condition when less invasive procedures have failed. Surgical treatment of sleep apnea involves the removal of unnecessary tissue from the back of the patient’s throat. This removal helps clear the airway and improves symptoms associated with sleep apnea.
- Dental Implants –Dental implants are an increasingly popular way of restoring missing teeth, and involve the implanting of mounting posts to support permanent prosthetics.
- Jaw Surgery –When conditions affecting the jaw, including injuries, misalignment are untreatable with less invasive means, oral surgery may be called for. This form of treatment can alleviate pain, improve appearance, and restore natural chewing and speaking function.
- Preparatory surgery –Oral surgery may be called for to prepare for additional treatments. This is true in certain orthodontic treatments and in the case of dental implants, as mentioned above.
What Happens When Oral Surgery Is Called For?
While the specifics of each treatment vary, there are a few common steps that happen on the way to the procedure. Prior to the surgery date, you’ll receive information on what to do to prepare for the day of your procedure, including necessary medications and what care will be required afterward. If general anesthesia is going to be required, you will be restricted from consuming any food or drink the night prior to the procedure. In these cases, it will also be common for a ride home to be needed.
If you’ve been informed by Dr. Obenchain that oral surgery is necessary, you can contact us today at 206-561-2345. When you call, our friendly staff will schedule you for an appointment and consultation with our dental staff and inform you how to prepare for your first visit. We look forward to seeing you for your appointment at Wisdom Teeth & Oral Surgery Center of Seattle.
