Oral Surgeon

Oral surgeon Las Vegas

A number of dental cases such as facial trauma, TMJ disorders, and other restorative procedures are referred to an oral surgeon Las Vegas. An oral surgeon is basically a dentist who has specialized in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Such a professional is trained in treating injuries, defects, and diseases affecting the face, teeth, mouth, and jaws. The oral surgeon performs restorative surgery procedures whereby functional aspects have a higher priority than aesthetics. It is common to find an oral surgeon collaborating with other professionals like general dentists, prosthodontists, cosmetic surgeons and general physicians.

Here are some of the conditions that can be treated by an oral surgeon;

Removing teeth and placing implants

Teeth that have been damaged by accident and need to be removed can be addressed by an oral surgeon. Impacted wisdom teeth can also be removed to prevent crowding of teeth. Wisdom teeth that have not fully erupted harbor bacteria and one can experience tooth decay or gum disease around the area. It is important that such teeth are removed to prevent tooth loss. The oral surgeon is also well versed in placing implants to replace missing teeth. He/ she will perform imaging tests of the jawbone to determine if you need bone grafting before proceeding. When placing implants, the oral surgeon works together with a prosthodontist to produce artificial crowns that match the rest of the teeth.

Treatment of facial trauma

A fractured jaw can be corrected by an oral surgeon as can skin lacerations on the face and neck region. Other facial bone trauma like the cheekbones, eye sockets, and forehead and nasal bones can also be corrected. Facial pain caused by temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders is a major problem. After getting imaging scans of the joint, the oral surgeon Las Vegas will determine whether surgery is needed or if other non-surgical alternatives can be pursued. Orthognathic surgery is also within their domain to correct irregularities that result in chewing, breathing and speaking difficulties. This involves realigning the upper and lower jaws. Birth defects like cleft lip and cleft palate also fall well within the scope of maxillofacial surgery.

Reconstructive surgery

Following facial trauma, the bones and tissues of the face can be damaged and require reconstructive surgery. An oral surgeon works hand in hand with a cosmetic surgeon to repair the jaw tissues, soft tissue, nerves and facial bone damage. More often than not, the reconstructive surgery will require the surgeon to source skin tissue, bone tissue, cartilage and nerves from other parts of the body. Reconstructive surgery can also follow the removal of benign tumors and cysts from the face, neck and throat region. An oral surgeon is trained to identify tumors that are a result of cancerous growths and remove them. This is why, despite the issue at hand, the maxillofacial surgeon conducts an inspection of the oral cavity to identify cysts and tumors before they spread to other problematic areas. You can also expect the surgeon to touch the neck and throat region and look for abnormal growths and lumps. After identifying an abnormality, a small part is cut off and sent to the laboratory for cancer screening.

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