A Look Into the Advanced Dentistry of an Oral Surgeon

When dental problems are minor, they can often be corrected with a trip to the dentist's office. This is one of the benefits of seeing a dental professional once every six months. Problems can be caught before they turn into something more. But this isn't always the case. Sometimes problems creep up that require the hand of an oral surgeon. This can happen even if you make it a point to never skip out on your scheduled dental inspection. Some problems simply call for surgery. If you have reached this point or are merely curious as to when and why a patient would need to go under the knife for their teeth, here is a look at the profession.

Wisdom teeth are a common reason for people to seek out the assistance of an oral surgeon. For whatever reason, wisdom teeth simply don't grow correctly in many a mouth. The teeth are too close together and there just isn't enough room in the jaw to accommodate further growth. When those wisdom teeth try to come in, it can be painful and lead to problems such as tooth shifting and even infection. A dentist can look at the growth and determine whether or not they need to come out. He may refer you to a specialist to have them extracted.

Not all dental problems come from within. Fights, car accidents, and other facial trauma can lead to the need for an oral surgeon. When teeth get pushed back into the gum line through impact, it can be extremely painful, not to mention unsightly. A regular family dentist is not going to be able to do much for you in an instance such as this. Going in for surgery may not be anyone's idea of a good time, but it could be the only reasonable way to restore your smile and restore function to your teeth.

If you are considering an advanced tooth replacement procedure such as dental implants, you will probably need to see an oral surgeon. Some dentists perform the operation, but many others will refer you to a specialist so that you can get the care that you need. If you have any doubts about your regular dentist's ability to perform advanced procedures, you may want to ask for such a referral. This isn't a slight against the competence of the average dentist. It is simply a fact that an oral surgeon will have more training and experience in matters such as this, and these are two key factors when it comes to getting a good set of dental implants.