What is reconstructive oral surgery?
Accidents happen every day – from falls to incidents at work, sports injuries, car accidents or facial trauma, an injury to your teeth and mouth can be scary and stressful. They can also impact your oral health long-term.
This dental surgery procedure may be recommended by an oral surgeon to restore the appearance and function of your smile. There are two types of facial reconstruction surgery: 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?
Patients with facial injuries, knocked-out teeth, and other traumatic injuries to the face and neck may struggle to eat, speak, chew, and live a normal life. Reconstructive surgery procedures are used to replace damaged or missing teeth, correct jaw joint issues, and treat gum and jawbone damage. Dental implants or other treatment options may be used to repair the bone structure and jaw alignment depending on your injury or circumstance.
Maxillofacial Reconstruction
Maxillofacial reconstruction can include anything 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 oral and maxillofacial hard and soft tissues.
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 Pure Dental 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 Pure Dental is here to answer any questions you may have and address concerns throughout treatment.