Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Why Are Teeth Extracted?
Teeth are generally extracted due to:
Excessive bone loss that cannot be restored
Excessive bone loss
Root tip infections that cannot be treated with root canal treatment
The fracture line extends to the root
Surrounding cysts or tumors.
What Should I Pay Attention to After Tooth Extraction?
A tampon should be bitten on the wound area for 30 minutes.
Eating and drinking should be avoided until the anesthesia wears off.
Hot foods and beverages should be avoided for 3 days after the procedure, and diet should be lukewarm or cold.
The wound area should not be touched, but it should be cleaned with a soft toothbrush.
Forcibly spitting or gargling should be avoided for 3 days after the procedure, and drinking through a straw should be avoided.
Smoking and alcohol should be avoided for 3 days after the procedure.
It's perfectly normal to experience bleeding from the extraction site for 1-2 days, but if bleeding is prolonged, persistent, and/or excessive, you should contact your doctor.
Pain lasting up to a week after extraction is quite normal, but if pain is severe and/or lasts longer than a week, you should contact your doctor.
Does Every Impacted Tooth Need to Be Extracted?
Not every impacted tooth requires extraction, but extraction is necessary if a pathological growth (e.g., a cyst) is detected around the tooth, the impacted tooth is damaging adjacent teeth, the patient requires orthodontic treatment, a major surgical procedure is planned, or if there are clinical symptoms in the affected area.
Is Impacted Tooth Extraction Very Painful, and What Is the Post-Procedure Process Like?
Since impacted tooth extraction is performed under local or general anesthesia, patients do not feel any pain during the procedure. The post-extraction period depends on the severity of the case. It is perfectly normal to experience pain and swelling in the treated area for a few days, which can be controlled with painkillers.
What Should I Be Careful About After Impacted Tooth Extraction?
After impacted tooth extraction:
A tampon placed on the wound should be bitten for 30 minutes.
Eating and drinking should be avoided until the anesthesia wears off.
Hot foods and beverages should be avoided for 3 days after the procedure, and diet should be lukewarm or cold.
The wound area should not be touched, but it should be cleaned with a soft toothbrush.
Forcible spitting and gargling should be avoided for 3 days after the procedure, and beverages should not be consumed through a straw.
Smoking and alcohol should be avoided for 3 days after the procedure.
Oozing bleeding from the extraction site for 1-2 days is quite normal. However, if bleeding is prolonged, unstoppable, and/or excessive, you should contact your doctor.
It's perfectly normal to experience pain for up to a week after an extraction. However, if the pain is severe and/or lasts longer than a week, you should contact your doctor.
Swelling may begin within the first 24 hours after the extraction and will subside on its own within 1-2 weeks. You can apply cold compresses to the procedure area for the first 24 hours to manage any swelling that may occur.
What are Jaw Cysts?
Jaw cysts are usually benign conditions that arise from the epithelial remnants of teeth developing within the jawbone (odontogenic) and anatomical structures within the jawbone (developmental). Cysts located within the jawbone can be diagnosed during routine radiographic examinations, but they may also present with symptoms such as:
Pain
Numbness
Swelling
A bitter taste in the mouth, similar to salt water
Mobility in the teeth and gaps between the teeth.
Because cysts usually start small but have the potential to grow and can become malignant if left inside the mouth, they must be surgically removed under local or general anesthesia.
What is a Biopsy?
A biopsy is the procedure of removing all or part of a cyst removed from the jawbone or suspicious lesions in the oral soft and hard tissues to definitively diagnose the lesion.
What is Root End Surgery/Apical Resection? Why is it Performed?
The root canal system may contain numerous lateral canals in the apical third (the very tip of the root), and filling these lateral canals may not be possible with every treatment. Consequently, teeth may become symptomatic despite successful root canal treatment. In symptomatic teeth with radiographically successful root canal treatment, healthy surrounding bone tissue except for the apical third, and within an accessible area, the root apices are surgically excised and removed, and the exposed root apices are sealed with appropriate biomaterials.
How is a Fracture Treated?
When choosing the treatment method for jawbone fractures, many factors are taken into consideration, including:
The patient's age
The patient's health status
The type of fracture
The location of the fracture
The number and locations of the fractured fragments
The time elapsed since the fracture occurred. After evaluating these factors, there are two different methods for treating a fracture:
1) Open Surgery:
Under local/general anesthesia, the fracture line is surgically accessed, making it visible. The visible fracture line is fixed with plates and screws made of biocompatible materials, and the treatment is completed.
2) Closed Surgery:
This type of treatment is performed under local/general anesthesia, using the patient's natural teeth, orthodontic wires (if any), or by placing 4-8 screws into the jawbone, while the jaw is held closed with wires or elastics.
What is Genioplasty?
Genioplasty is a chin tip surgery performed under general anesthesia for aesthetic purposes on patients who do not have a skeletal disharmony in their jawbones but are bothered by an asymmetrical, undefined, or excessively prominent chin.
What is Orthognathic Surgery?
Orthognathic surgery is a surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia in collaboration with orthodontists to restore skeletal disharmony between the jawbones and restore the patient's function and aesthetics. Genioplasty may also be performed during this procedure if deemed necessary.