Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Extractions

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What is Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is the specialty of dentistry which includes the diagnosis, surgical and adjunctive treatment of disease, injuries and defects involving both the functional and esthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region.

Wisdom Teeth Extractions

Dentists usually perform wisdom teeth extractions because most people don't have enough room in their mouths for these wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are also called "third molars" and a dentist may refer to this extraction as " third molar surgery ".  Most oral surgery procedures go very well, take less than an hour and are done in the dental office. 

The oral surgery patient is seated and completely numbed. It's important to wait and allow the numbness to sink in fully. The dentist checks the depth of the anesthesia by making a small incision around the wisdom tooth. Once it is confirmed that the patient is completely numb the incision is lengthened and the gum tissue is gently pulled away from the wisdom tooth. If any of the surrounding bone is in the way, it is then removed. If needed, the wisdom tooth is then gently sectioned into pieces and the pieces are then removed. Finally, sutures (stitches) are placed so that the gum tissue lays back into place correctly.

Most oral surgery patients should be placed on antibiotics after any oral surgery procedure, especially after wisdom tooth removal. All patients are then seen post operatively one week after their oral surgery procedure.