For some dental patients regular visits to the dentist are enough to keep their smiles healthy and beautiful from youth into old age. Others, however, due to genetics, acute trauma, or simple poor oral hygiene may require the additional help of an Oral Surgeon in Mount Vernon IL. These surgeons often work in conjunction with dentists to perform more extensive restoration work, including the extraction of wisdom teeth, the placement of dental implants, and exposure of un-erupted teeth among other procedures. Below are a few of the most common dental problems treated by oral surgeons and a description of why they might be necessary.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Wisdom teeth are third molars that usually come in years after a younger patient has all of his or her adult teeth. When his or her jaw is wide enough to accommodate them and the gum tissue surrounding them is healthy they don’t cause any trouble. Unfortunately this is not usually the case. Most adults who do not have their wisdom teeth removed end up having trouble. If there is not enough space for them to grow in they can grow in sideways, emerge only partially from the gums, or cause the other patient’s other healthy teeth to become crowded in the jaw. A simple dental x-ray can determine whether or not a patient will need to have wisdom teeth removed.
Placement of Dental Implants
When a tooth needs to be removed, whether due to acute trauma, decay, or a variety of other reasons, it leaves a gap. The space where the missing tooth used to be isn’t just unattractive and impractical for chewing. It can also lead to degradation of the jaw bone and the unwanted movement of other teeth. Parallel teeth can grow in further to fill in the missing space, and nearby teeth on the same jaw can migrate. Both of these results can cause pain, difficulty chewing or speaking, and other complications. These can be resolved with the placement of a dental implant by an Oral Surgeon in Mount Vernon IL.
These are only two of the most common surgeries performed, but they constitute a large part of an oral surgeon’s workload. Those with jaw alignment issues, abscesses, knocked out teeth, intra-oral lacerations, or other chronic or acute issues affecting the mouth may also be able to benefit from oral surgery. Visit the Site today to learn more.
