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What is reconstructive oral surgery, and when would we recommend this procedure? Our Vernon dentists provide some facts, and signs of when patients may need it.
What is reconstructive oral surgery?
Accidents happen every day - from falls to workplace incidents, sports injuries, car accidents, or facial trauma - and an injury to your teeth or mouth can be frightening and stressful. They can also have a long-term impact on your oral health.
An oral surgeon may recommend this dental surgery procedure to restore the appearance and function of your smile. Facial reconstruction surgery can be broken into two categories: soft tissue injuries and fractures.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries cover trauma to the gums or skin, such as cuts on the tongue, lips or inside of your cheek. These may also include lacerations to the hard or soft palate.
Fractures
If the tiny bone tissue in your mouth is injured - including the teeth, upper or lower jaw or facial bones - they could need reconstruction.
If you’ve suffered severe facial injuries to the forehead or nasal cavities you might require a larger reconstructive surgery.
As you might expect, having a jaw defect as a result of trauma or previous surgery (e.g., ablative tumour surgery) can have a significant impact on your quality of life in terms of appearance and function - everything from swallowing and eating to speaking, appearance, and self-confidence is affected.
You might require facial reconstructive surgery if you receive any of these dental services:
- Wisdom tooth removal
- Dental implants
- Jaw surgery
- Bone grafting
What does reconstructive surgery involve?
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. We use reconstructive surgery procedures to replace damaged or missing teeth, correct issues with the jaw joint and treat gum and jawbone damage. Depending on your injury or circumstance, dental implants or other treatment options may be used to repair the bone structure and jaw alignment.
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
Following the completion of reconstructive oral surgery by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, the oral cavity (teeth and gums) must be rehabilitated and lost teeth and gums replaced so you can speak, eat, and swallow normally again.
Our oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Cornerstone Dental Group - Dr Rex Hawthorne and Associates is uniquely qualified to provide comprehensive surgical care, guiding you through every stage of treatment, including:
- Ablative resection
- Microvascular reconstruction
- Dental implant placement
Though reconstructive oral surgery can sound intimidating, our dental and oral surgery team at Cornerstone Dental Group - Dr Rex Hawthorne and Associates is here to answer any questions you may have and address concerns throughout treatment.