Oral surgery is something many of us don't want to think about often. However, it can become a necessity rather than a choice due to many reasons. Some dental problems can affect your teeth, gums, mouth, jaw, and neck, for which a dentist in Nashville may refer you to an oral surgeon. Some of an oral surgeon's main roles and responsibilities include performing corrective surgery on jaws, removing wisdom and broken teeth, and performing bone grafting procedures. You should ensure that the oral surgeon you consult is experienced in handling different types of oral surgeries.
Wisdom Teeth Extraction
One of the common procedures performed by an oral surgeon is wisdom teeth extractions. Wisdom teeth, also known as the third molars, can cause concern for many. It happens when the wisdom teeth try to protrude through the gums. A wisdom tooth can be considered impacted when it results in pain, the tooth emerges only unevenly, or when the tooth may emerge only partially.
Cleaning the tooth may become harder when a flap of skin called operculum develops over the wisdom tooth that has emerged only partially. Furthermore, food particles can also get stuck in the area under the skin. It makes it easy for bacteria to accumulate and cause infections such as periodontitis to develop. In such scenarios, wisdom and impacted teeth need to be removed since they can potentially cause infections. The dentist in Nashville, TN, can perform extractions ranging from a single tooth to all the four wisdom teeth if needed.
Depending on the teeth' condition, the Nashville dentist performs the procedure. Usually, the gum tissue around the wisdom teeth will be opened before loosening the teeth by gripping it tightly and wiggling it back and forth unless the wisdom teeth are lifted out of the gums. Some wisdom teeth will be impacted so tightly that they cannot be lifted out of the gums. During such scenarios, the dentist in Nashville will break the tooth into small pieces before removal. Based on the site of extraction and incision, sutures may be required to close the area. Some sutures are soluble, so you need not remove them once the area heals since soluble sutures dissolve on their own.
Once the wisdom tooth extraction is successfully performed, you should think of what to do next with the space left by the missing teeth. You can consider teeth restoration options such as dental implants or dental bridges, which can be an ideal replacement for the missing teeth. If the removed teeth are not replaced with artificial teeth, the jaw bone will resorb and change shape at the time of healing, thus causing shifting of the teeth.
Bone Grafting
Bone grafting may become necessary when a bone is built to accommodate a dental implant or other tooth restoration devices.
Are your wisdom teeth causing trouble? Then schedule a visit with your nearest Nashville dentist to get your wisdom teeth extracted.
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