Maintaining a dazzling and healthy smile is more than keeping your teeth white. You need strong teeth anchored by healthy structures in and around your mouth. Maintaining such a dental health degree is challenging, and in certain situations, your dentist may recommend oral surgery. The Woodlands oral surgery can treat various dental concerns, including defects, disease, and injuries on the hard and soft mouth tissues, jaws, neck, and head. While oral surgery may seem scary, it is safe and recommended in situations including:
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Gum disease
When gum disease goes unnoticed to the point of periodontitis, the only viable treatment could be surgery. Gum surgery can remove bacteria deeply rooted in the gum tissue. The surgery may be tailored to reduce the pockets or for guided tissue regeneration following the extent of the damage. While gum disease is preventable, if it escalates to periodontitis, it is incurable, and surgery could be the best treatment to mitigate the potential complication beyond your oral health.
TMJ disorders
TMJ disorder can cause debilitating pain when chewing, opening, and closing your mouth. The pain can persist without joint movement, including recurring headaches and facial pain. TMJ disorders also increase your risk of sleep difficulties and other oral concerns, including bruxism. TMJ disorder could result from concerns like crooked teeth or dental misalignment, which oral surgery can correct.
Snoring
Snoring and sleep disorders like sleep apnea often result from dental issues. Dental misalignment is usually the main culprit. Misalignment affects the tongue position, which blocks the airway resulting in snoring and sleep difficulties. Sleep disorders are a severe health problem since they put you at risk of developing conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and mental health issues. With oral surgery, you can correct the misalignment and address snoring and sleep apnea, mitigating such risks and improving the quality of your life.
Root canal treatment
If your root canal is infected or damaged, your dentist can recommend root canal therapy. The procedure entails the removal of the infected or damaged inner chamber of the pulp. This means the rest of the tooth’s structure is preserved, helping you retain your natural tooth.
Jawbone grafting
Jawbone resorption may be recommended in instances such as when getting dental implants. A weak jawbone can hardly support the implants, which bone grafting surgery remedies. The surgery helps in more than facilitating a smooth dental implant process, especially since it could be the main reason you are seeing premature aging signs like wrinkles around your mouth.
Tooth extraction
Extraction could be the only practical solution when you have extensive tooth damage, either by infection or trauma. Tooth extraction can help manage pain and sensitivity and prevent the infection from spreading to other teeth, dental structures, and the rest of your body.
Today, you’ll find innovative oral surgery solutions that minimize pain and potential risks and complications. This makes oral surgery a reliable solution for many concerns affecting smile and oral functions. Contact Scott Young, DDS, for more on oral surgery and why you might need the treatment.