Our Dental Surgeon will discuss with you after a thorough dental examination your treatment options. Oral Surgery involves any dental surgical treatments, for example:

• Surgical removal of impacted wisdom teeth
• Tooth extraction
• Bone graft surgery
• Implant surgery
• Pre-prosthetic surgery such as crown-lengthening and gingivetomy
• Orthognatic surgery
• Surgical correction of jaw excess/deficiency due to:
  • Mandibular setback/advancement
  • Management of facial deformities

The Wisdom Tooth
Wisdom teeth are third molars. Normally people have three permanent molars that develop in each quadrant of the mouth. The third molars usually will try to grow in at around age 18 to 20 years.

Wisdom teeth are actually no different than any other tooth except that they are the last teeth to erupt. They are just as useful as any other tooth if they grow in properly, have a proper bite relationship and have healthy gum tissue around them. Unfortunately, this does not always happen.

When wisdom teeth are prevented from erupting into the mouth properly, they are referred to as impacted. A dentist must examine a patient's mouth and corresponding x-rays to determine if the teeth are impacted or will not grow in properly. Impacted teeth may cause problems. Here are several common problems that occurs when the impacted wisdom teeth are not removed :

• bacteria and plaque build-up
• decay of adjacent teeth
• formation of cysts (a fluid- filled sac) or tumors from follicle
• tumor development
• infection
• jaw and gum disease

Erupted wisdom teeth may need to be removed, particularly if the tooth is:

• interfering with the bite
• non-functional
• badly decayed
• involved with or at risk for periodontal disease
• interfering with restoration of an adjacent tooth

Tooth Extraction
There are a number of reasons why a tooth extraction may be required:

• the tooth is severely decayed
• advanced periodontal disease ("gum disease")
• the tooth may be broken such that it cannot be repaired
• other teeth may need removal because they are poorly positioned in the mouth (such as impacted wisdom teeth)
• preparation for orthodontic treatment ("braces")

Bone Grafts
Bone grafting procedures are usually necessary if there is not enough bone available to place dental implants or if any vital anatomy is in the way.

Today, bone grafting procedures have become almost an integral part of implant reconstruction. In many instances, a potential implant site in the upper or lower jaw does not offer enough bone volume or quantity to accommodate a Rootform Implant of proper size or in the proper place. This is usually a result of bone resorption that has taken place since one or more teeth (if not all) were lost. Bone Grafting procedures usually try to re-establish bone dimension, which was lost due to resorption.

Many years ago the lack of bone posed a considerable problem and sometimes implant placement was impossible because of that. Today, however, we have the ability to grow bone where needed. This not only gives us the opportunity to place implants of proper length and width (and for Rootform Implants we always try to go for as long and wide as possible), it also gives us a chance to restore the esthetic appearance and functionality better.

There are various types of Bone Grafting Materials available and can be categorised into five different types:

• Autograft or autogenous bone graft
• Allograft or allogenic bone graft
• Xenograft or xenogenic bone graft
• Alloplast or alloplastic bone graft
• Growth Factors

Each of the bone graft materials are usually developed with a specific purpose or advantage in mind. Your Dental Surgeon will make a decision with respect to the most suitable material for you based on your individual needs and the latest research in that field.

Orthognatic Surgery
Orthognatic surgery is performed on the bones of the jaws to change their positions. Orthognatic surgery is corrective facial surgery where deformities of the jaw exist. It may be indicated for functional, cosmetic or health reasons. It is surgery commonly carried out on the jaws in conjunction with orthodontic treatment, which straightens the teeth.

Pre-operative planning is crucial to the success of the procedure and evaluates the surgical and orthodontic options. The surgeon chooses the type of mandibular surgery based on his experience, evaluation of the photographic and cephalometric analysis and model surgery.

Orthognatic surgery is often delayed until after all of the permanent teeth have erupted unless medical conditions necessitate that the surgery be performed earlier. In adult patients, orthognathic surgery can be combined with soft tissue contouring to improve the aesthetic results.

Benefits of Orthognatic Treatment

• Corrects and balances facial and dentation
• Improves function, health, and appearance
• Enables better biting and chewing on food
• Close your lips together in certain caes
• May improve speech
• Prevents jaw joint disorder (TMJ) issues
• improves quality of life