What is oral surgery?
Oral surgery includes any surgical procedures to your teeth, gums, or other structures in your mouth. For example, some of the common oral operations include:
- Tooth extraction
- Dental implant placement
- Prosthodontics to improve the appearance of your teeth
- Corrective jaw surgery
- Bone grafting
The dentists at White Plains Family Dentistry offer comprehensive consultations to identify any issues affecting your oral health, including abnormal lumps or lesions in your mouth. They also perform biopsies and excision surgeries to remove cancerous or precancerous tissue.
Why would I need to have a tooth extracted?
Tooth extraction is one of the most common oral surgery procedures. The primary reason for tooth extraction is problems with your wisdom teeth.
Your wisdom teeth are your third set of molars that usually erupt in your late teens or early 20s, long after your other adult teeth have emerged. However, you may have problems such as:
- Insufficient room for your wisdom teeth
- Overcrowding
- Impacted wisdom teeth
- Partial eruption
You may also need to have a tooth removed because of severe decay or infection.
The dentists at White Plains Family Dentistry offer simple and surgical tooth extraction. Both techniques are outpatient procedures. However, during a simple extraction, your dentist uses a special tool to grasp your tooth, wiggle it loose, and pull it from your jaw.
A surgical extraction is slightly more involved. Your dentist makes an incision in your gums to access your tooth and may need to remove your tooth in several pieces.
How should I prepare for oral surgery?
Your dentist gives you specific instructions on how to prepare for oral surgery. Depending on your particular procedure, you may need to avoid eating for several hours before your appointment. You should make sure your dentist is aware of any other health conditions and all medications, vitamins, and supplements you take regularly.
How should I take care of my mouth after oral surgery?
Your dentist may prescribe pain-relieving medication to alleviate any post-surgical discomfort. You can also apply ice packs for 10 minutes every hour. You should stick to soft foods and liquids while your mouth heals, although you should avoid straws — the suction could dislodge clots from extraction sites.
Your dentist gives you instructions on how to brush and clean your teeth. For example, if you have a tooth removed, you should wait until the next day to brush your teeth and take extra care around the extraction site.
If you need an oral surgeon in the White Plains area, call White Plains Family Dentistry or schedule a consultation online today.
