Oral Surgeons For Dental Trauma

Although your dentist probably offers a variety of surgical procedures, there are many differences between what oral surgeons handle and what dentists handle. Dental trauma can be everything thing from a chip or a crack to severe damage to the structures of your teeth, mouth and gums. Although a dentist can handle most ordinary, every day traumas, it takes dental specialists to restore a severely damaged smile. They have a different, more extensive education to help people recover from serious injuries.

With severe dental trauma, many teeth will be affected at the same time. Car accidents, falls, or other accidents where you suffer a blow to the face could result in lost teeth, misalignment, or jaw bone damage. This is where oral surgeons come in. They are the first step in a long process of recovery to restore your smile. Many of these professionals work in hospital settings, as you will have most likely incurred other injuries as well. Just like with any other surgeon, they are highly trained specialists who work with restorative surgery.

The first step is that they will address bone damage. This may require resetting bone fractures or implants in order to restore the form and function of your jawbone. Implants can be a very difficult process as your body needs to accept new bone. Antibiotics will be used in order to prevent infection. Oral surgeons will also address lacerations to the gums and work to restore gums at the deepest level of tissue, an area that is outside a general dentist's range of focus. They will repair the mouth to be ready to accept new dentures or dental implants.

Although some dentists handle dental implant surgery, oral surgeons are often better at handling trauma patients because of the extent of work. If you need several implants, an oral surgeon may handle these procedures. Implants are made from titanium and are implanted into the bone to replace a lost root. The bone will grow around the artificial root to create a strong bond. Once these roots have bonded, crowns will be placed on top of the implants to restore the form and function of your smile. From there you will be able to eat and speak as you once did. If they can save your original teeth, you will most likely need to recover from the injury before heading to an orthodontist to realign your teeth.

Smile restoration services are different when it comes to severe dental trauma. If you have suffered a severe blow to the mouth that has affected several of your teeth and damaged your gums and facial bones, then you will be taken to oral surgeons, not the dentists. The process of recovery is long, but under their guidance you can restore the integrity and structures of your face, teeth, mouth, and gums.