Angie's LIST Guide to
Oral surgeons

An oral surgeon often removes impacted wisdom teeth or third molars. These teeth often erupt normally in adolescence or early adulthood. In many cases, they don't fit in the space behind the back molars and become impacted or misaligned behind the surface of the gum line. When this happens, redness, irritation and pain occurs. If left untreated, infection can develop as well as cyst or tumor formation that will affect the gums and surrounding teeth. Removal is necessary and often performed under local or general anesthesia in the dental surgeon's office.

Misaligned jaws, temporomandibular disorders and damage caused by an accident or injury may require extensive surgery by a trained oral surgeon and surgical team. Jaw restructuring and corrective jaw surgery will help realign the facial bones and joints and restore the area back to a normal position.

Cosmetic surgery such as partials, dental implants, tooth replacement, dentures or veneers may help improve your appearance after you have lost teeth due to accident or advanced gum disease.

Your dentist may refer a diagnosis of oral cancer to a surgeon for treatment. The surgeon can often perform a more advanced exam and biopsy of the affected area and remove tissue and bone that has been affected by cancer.

If you have sleep apnea, visiting your dental surgeon may help. He or she can use radio frequency waves to help shrink tissue in the throat and reduce sleep apnea symptoms. Uvuloplasty removes the uvula and some of the surrounding tissue to help open the airway and reduce symptoms.

Care from an oral surgeon can reap several benefits including relief of major discomfort caused from tooth, gum and jaw pain. Long-term benefits include teeth and jaw structure that support eating and swallowing without fear of choking or major discomfort. Removal of unsightly decayed teeth will let you enjoy a new partial or cosmetic veneer that restores and improves both physical and psychological health. Restructuring of your jaw or inside gums and palette will help prevent further oral health problems in the future. Removal of precancerous lesions or seeking treatment for areas inside your mouth that are affected by oral cancer will allow you to live a healthy lifestyle and continue to maintain good oral hygiene.