Reasons You May Need Oral Surgery

Find out the many scenarios in which oral surgery may be the best option for you.

While no one likes having to think about getting surgery, it might just end up being the best way to maintain good oral health. From the office of our Westlake, OH, periodontist Dr. Scott Sazima, find out the many issues that arise that may only respond most effectively to oral surgery.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

This is one of the most common reasons a healthy individual might otherwise need oral surgery. Most of the time this third and final set of molars (which often erupt around your late teens or early 20s) causes more issues than it’s worth. No one needs their wisdom teeth; however, keeping wisdom teeth when they should be removed could increase your chances of damaging other neighboring teeth, decay, gum disease and infection.

Tooth Loss

Whether you are missing one or all of your teeth, if you choose to get a long-term replacement like a dental implant then you will need to undergo minor surgery so that our Westlake, OH, oral surgeon can place the implant into the jawbone, where it will naturally fuse together with bone and tissue to become a permanent replacement. Of course, before you get implants we will need to make sure that you are healthy enough for this treatment. If not enough jawbone is present to support the dental implant, a bone graft may be needed.

TMJ Disorder

While many people who experience symptoms of TMJ disorder will often notice that their jaw pain and stiffness (among other symptoms) will go away on their own with easy, conservative care, not everyone is as fortunate. If TMJ disorder is due to a severe jaw or bite misalignment then the best way to repair the problem is through jaw surgery. This surgery will properly align the jaws to prevent TMJ-related symptoms from occurring in the future.

Severely Fractured Tooth

Teeth that are chipped and cracked or even decayed can often be treated and then covered with a filling or crown to protect it. Of course, there are some instances in which the damage is so severe that it affects the integrity of the tooth. This is often the case if you have a fracture that goes below the gumline. When this happens the tooth is no longer viable and will need to be replaced.

Whether you have questions about your upcoming dental surgery in Westlake, OH, or you need to find out if your wisdom teeth need to be removed, don’t hesitate to call Westlake Periodontics today. We are here to put your mind at ease.