Oral surgery is a crucial branch of dental care, offering solutions for a wide range of dental and facial concerns. Whether it’s addressing wisdom tooth complications, dental implants, or more complex procedures, oral surgery plays a vital role in restoring both function and aesthetics. Turkey has emerged as a global destination for advanced oral surgery, combining expert care with state-of-the-art facilities at affordable costs.
In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about oral surgery. From understanding the different types of procedures to the distinction between oral and maxillofacial surgery, we’ll also shed light on the risks, benefits, and what makes Turkey a top choice for oral surgery treatments.
What is Oral Surgery?
Oral surgery is a specialized field of dentistry focused on diagnosing and managing pathologies within the mouth and jaws. When oral abnormalities or diseases require surgical intervention, oral surgery becomes applicable. This branch of dentistry involves treating patients across different age groups, including children, adolescents, and adults. Each age group requires specific skills and expertise, particularly when managing dental anxiety or medically complex cases.
Oral surgery encompasses a wide range of procedures, from simple tooth extraction to complicated reconstructive surgeries. Advances in technology and techniques have made these procedures safer and more effective, offering optimized outcomes and significant oral health improvements. Below, we detail the most common types of oral surgeries, explaining each procedure’s purpose and method.
Common Oral Surgeries
Tooth Removal
Tooth removal, a basic procedure, involves extracting one or more teeth. Dentists perform it when a tooth is too damaged from trauma or decay to be repaired, preventing further pain or damage. Other reasons for extraction include making room for incoming teeth in an overcrowded mouth, preventing infections, and addressing periodontal disease, which affects the tissues and bones supporting teeth.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Wisdom tooth removal is a common oral surgery. Many people have one to four wisdom teeth between ages 17 and 25. However, when wisdom teeth emerge, there often isn’t enough room in the mouth for them. Dentists usually recommend removing wisdom teeth to prevent complications. This surgery is typically done under twilight or local anesthesia, with the choice depending on the procedure’s complexity, your comfort level, medical history, and the number of teeth to be extracted.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are artificial teeth that require surgery to implant in the jawbone. Shaped like screws, they bond with the natural bone to hold an artificial tooth crown. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons or periodontists typically perform this surgery. Dental implants are becoming a standard practice for replacing missing teeth, restoring the functions of biological tissues and organs, and supporting compromised tissue.
Dental Bone Grafts Surgery
Bone grafts, as the name suggests, are an oral surgery that is done to enhance the amount of bone in some parts of your mouth and jaw. Imagine the following: you are building a structure without having a strong foundation to support it; what you will need to do before adding up to your structure is to add more foundation to the base. Similarly, the oral surgeon will do the same to your jawbone.
Oral Cancers Surgeries
Oral cancer includes cancers of the mouth, jaw, and face, extending to areas like the salivary glands. Surgeries for oral cancer involve removing cancerous tissue from the head and neck area. Methods vary, including traditional surgery, transoral laser resection, and robotic surgery. The primary goal is to eliminate cancerous tissue while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.
Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery
Cleft lip and palate surgery corrects structural abnormalities occurring during fetal development. If left untreated, cleft lip can negatively affect speaking and eating, causing other problems like breathing difficulties and ear infections. Early surgical intervention is recommended, usually performed by pediatric plastic surgeons, oral maxillofacial surgeons, or ENT surgeons, depending on the case’s complexity.
Palates Surgery (Sleep Apnea Surgery)
This surgery treats obstructions in the soft palate, improving breathing quality for patients with sleep apnea. Causes of obstruction can be structural, due to inflammatory conditions, or both. Surgical treatment may involve plastic surgeons, oral maxillofacial surgeons, and ENT surgeons.
Benefits of Oral Surgery
- Pain relief: Oral surgeries can relieve chronic pain caused by issues like impacted wisdom teeth, TMJ disorders, or severe tooth decay. These procedures effectively address these problems, providing long-term relief.
- Improved Oral Health: Oral surgery can significantly improve oral and overall health. Even basic procedures like tooth extraction and periodontal surgery can prevent the spread of infection, reduce inflammation, and improve the health of the gums and remaining teeth. This contributes to better overall oral hygiene and health.
- Restoring Function: Oral surgeries can restore functions in the mouth and jaws; for example, dental implants and corrective jaw surgery can restore chewing, speaking, and breathing functions for patients, leading to significant improvement in their life quality.
- Boosting Personal Confidence: Some oral surgeries help restore functions and enhance patients’ looks as they bring aesthetic benefits. They can improve facial symmetry and restore a natural-looking smile.
- Improve Life Quality: For patients suffering from sleep apnea, surgical interventions can provide them with lifetime solutions for sleep apnea symptoms like morning headaches, lack of good sleep, or brain fog caused by poor-quality sleeping. Most patients report improved daytime alertness and overall better health after the surgery.
Oral Surgery vs. Maxillofacial Surgery
Although oral surgery and maxillofacial surgery are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two branches of dentistry. Oral surgery focuses mainly on surgical treatments of oral issues, such as tooth extraction, wisdom tooth removal, and other common oral surgeries. On the other hand, maxillofacial surgery is more dedicated to treating injuries, defects, and diseases that occur in the face, jaw, head, and neck.
The main difference between oral and maxillofacial surgeons is their level of education and training. Both attend dental school and complete surgical residency, but maxillofacial surgeons have additional training. They have completed a general dental degree as well as a medical degree and specialist training. Usually, maxillofacial surgeons have even more specialized education and training than oral surgeons. In other words, all maxillofacial surgeons are oral surgeons, but not all oral surgeons are maxillofacial surgeons.
Contact DentSpa: Your Path to Expert Dental Care in Turkey
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FAQs
Is it costly to get oral surgeries done in Turkey?
No, Oral surgeries in Turkey are typically less expensive than in many Western countries. The cost may vary considerably depending on the specific procedure, the clinic, and the city. In Turkey, many dental clinics offer packages covering consultations, dental implants, restorations, anesthesia, medication, and postoperative care.
How long do I need to recover after oral surgery?
Recovery time after oral surgery varies depending on the type of surgery, your physical health, and your age. Generally, bleeding should stop within the first 24 hours. Once the effects of sedation wear off, you should start to feel better. However, full healing may take up to two weeks. During the first 24 hours, it is recommended to rest, avoid physical activity, and stay home. It is crucial to follow your surgeon’s postoperative instructions carefully to optimize healing and prevent complications.
Are oral surgeries painful?
Oral surgeries, like any surgical procedure, can cause discomfort due to their invasive nature. However, the level of pain experienced varies greatly among patients because everyone has a different pain threshold. Less invasive surgeries generally cause less significant pain. Additionally, anesthesia used during these procedures helps manage pain and keeps the patient comfortable. Post-operative pain is typically manageable with medications prescribed and discussed with your surgeon.
When should I consult an oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS), not a dentist?
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (OMS) are equipped to treat complex procedures that go beyond general dental care due to their additional surgical residency program training. They can treat the teeth, jaw, and facial areas around the mouth. You should see an OMS for complex wisdom teeth surgery, dental implants, complex tooth extractions, surgery of oral soft tissues, cleft lip and palate surgery, craniofacial surgery, facial cosmetic surgery, dentoalveolar surgery, and facial injury and trauma.