Oregon Careers in Healthcare

There are so many types of dental professionals available to treat and take care of your dental and oral health. It all depends on your needs and problems. In fact, many practices, like this Castle Hill-based dental practice, have several dental specialists and practitioners available to answer your every need.  If you have general problems like tooth decay, a general dentist can give you dental fillings and oral prophylaxis or cleaning. If you want to whiten your teeth, a cosmetic dentist can do that for you.gum problems are expertise of periodontists. But what does a dental oral surgeon do?

How to become a dental oral surgeon

A maxillofacial surgeon is a unique profession in the dentistry field. Why? Because after spending four years studying general dentistry, they continue learning and gaining experience and training in surgery for at least four more years in a hospital-based setting. This makes maxillofacial surgeons a dentist and doctor of surgery at the same time.

What can a dental oral surgeon do?

Oral or maxillofacial surgeons can perform a lot of procedures in dentistry. From the simplest tooth extraction to the most complicated dental surgery. Here are some of the procedures and responsibilities they are capable of.

Tooth extraction. Oral surgeons can handle simple extractions but, of course, they will charge you more. Their services are more helpful and beneficial for complex extractions that would need gum tissue and bone removal or teeth impaction.

Biopsies. If you are suspected to have oral cancer, oral surgeons, also called maxillofacial surgeons,  are the ones who get the specimen to be checked for soft tissue biopsy to confirm if you really have cancer or not. They also treat medical or dental patients with tumors or growth in the mouth and jaw.

Jaw surgeries. If you were part of an accident that fractured your jaw, an oral surgeon may be the one to treat you. Jaw misalignments and complex bone repair of the cheek and jaw are covered by this dental specialist.

Lip/Palate surgery. Patients with cleft lip or palate need the services of a dental oral surgeon to undergo reconstructive surgery. Maxillofacial surgeons correct this congenital abnormality through surgery so the patient can look and function normally.

Implant surgery. Yes! Maxillofacial surgeons can also perform dental implant surgery. They are adept in performing jaw surgeries, so implanting titanium posts to your jaw may not seem to be a big deal for them.

Medical conditions related to dental concerns. Since maxillofacial surgeons are dentists and doctors at the same time, they may help you in looking for solutions for medical problems that connect with your dental health. For instance, obstructive sleep apnea has been connected to malocclusion, so their professional advice and recommendation may be greatly helpful in solving this condition.

Now that you know what an oral surgeon can do for you, we are not saying that every dental procedure should be performed by this dental specialist. In fact, some dentists and dental professionals can also perform different procedures that a maxillofacial surgeon can do. But if you are really needing complex treatment, maybe it’s time for you to find one if you are in need of their dental expertise.