If you regularly see your dentist for a routine check-up, the last thing you want to hear from him is a recommendation for an oral surgeon. For most people, merely hearing those two words is enough to bring chills to the spine. However, oral surgery can sometimes be inevitable, and it does not necessarily have to be dreaded, especially with the convenience of modern technology today.
Dental oral surgery may be necessary for the following conditions:

Wisdom Teeth

A lot of people are bothered by their wisdom teeth, and some may require oral surgery because of the difficulties they experience. If a wisdom tooth gets impacted between your gum tissue and your jawbone, then you will require dental oral surgery.

Impaction happens when the tooth does not have sufficient room to emerge in its rightful place. It gets trapped, and this results in pain and swelling in the area of the jaw around the tooth. The surrounding gums and teeth may be damaged permanently if the situation is not addressed properly. Thus, your dentist will most likely recommend to have the impacted tooth removed through dental oral surgery.

Other Teeth

There are times when other teeth like your bicuspids and cuspids become impacted. Depending on the condition and possible repercussions, dental oral surgery may be recommended by your dentist. Sometimes, other treatment methods may remedy the situation without having to resort to oral surgery.

Tooth Loss

Many cases of tooth loss require oral surgery. This is because dentists usually suggest getting dental implants to replace missing teeth. Poor-fitting dentures can also result in dental oral surgery. The dentist may want to have jaw irregularities corrected, instead of just fixing the improperly-fitting dentures.

Unequal Jaw Growth

Dentists almost always recommend oral surgery for unequal jaw growth. If your lower and upper jaws are not growing equally, you may experience difficulties in eating, speaking, swallowing, and breathing. If orthodontic appliances such as braces fail to correct the problem, oral surgery will be the most viable option.

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)

TMD is a jaw joint disorder that may be caused by clenching or grinding the teeth. While many cases of TMD are treatable with physical therapy and medication, the more severe cases may require dental oral surgery.

Cleft Lip and Palate

Usually performed by a team of surgeons, a reconstructive surgery is required to fix a cleft lip or cleft palate. The surgery is also performed for cosmetic purposes.

Facial Trauma

Dental oral surgery may also be necessary for people who have undergone facial injuries or traumas. These may include fractured jaws and broken facial bones.

Like other types of surgery, dental oral surgery is performed under general anaesthesia. Thus, the patient will be asleep the entire time, and will only wake up after it is done.