Today our dentists in Winnipeg discuss reconstructive oral surgery including when we recommend it and what is involved in the procedure itself.
Reconstructive Oral Surgery
Every day people are having accidents some of which can injure their teeth or mouth such as a workplace injury, sports injury, facial trauma, car accident, or fall. These all can be scary and impact your long-term oral health.
An oral surgeon might be able to recommend this dental surgery procedure to help restore the function and appearance of your smile. Facial reconstruction surgery could even be broken down into two categories: soft tissue injuries and fractures.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries can help trauma to the skin or gums, such as cuts on the lips, tongue, or inside of your cheek. They could also include lacerations to the soft or hard palate.
Fractures
If the tiny bone tissue in your mouth becomes injured - including the facial bones, upper or lower jaw, or teeth- they might require reconstruction.
If you have encountered severe facial injuries to the nasal cavities or forehead you may need a larger reconstructive surgery.
As you could imagine, obtaining a jaw defect from trauma or earlier surgery (e.g. ablative tumor surgery) can drastically affect the quality of your life in regards to function and appearance – everything from eating and swallowing to appearance, speaking, and self-confidence are impacted.
You might require facial reconstructive surgery if you receive any of these dental services:
- Dental implants
- Wisdom tooth removal
- Bone grafting
- Jaw surgery
What's involved in reconstructive surgery?
Facial injuries, knocked-out teeth, and other traumatic injuries to the face and neck can leave patients struggling to eat, speak, chew and live a good quality of life. Your dental professional can utilize reconstructive surgery procedures to help fix problems with the jaw joint, replace damaged or missing teeth, and treat gum and jawbone damage. Based on your circumstance or injury, dental implants or other treatment options could be used to correct jaw alignment and bone structure.
Maxillofacial Reconstruction
Maxillofacial reconstruction can entail a range of procedures, from bone grafting to bone transplants with blood vessels for larger, more complex defects. This dental surgery can correct a wide range of defects, diseases, and injuries in the face, neck, head, and jaws, as well as the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial area.
Rehabilitation
After your dental professional has completed the reconstructive oral surgery, the oral cavity (teeth and gums) must be rehabilitated and lost teeth and gums will be replaced so you can speak, eat and swallow normally again.
There are uniquely qualified professionals that can provide comprehensive surgical care and guide you through every stage of treatment, including:
- Ablative resection
- Microvascular reconstruction
- Dental implant placement
Though reconstructive oral surgery can sound intimidating, our dental team at Academy Dental Group is here to answer any questions you may have and address concerns throughout treatment.