First of all, keep in mind that the term "oral surgery" includes a lot more than just the mouth. It can also include the chin, upper portion of the neck, throat, checks, and anything else on the lower portion of the face. This includes wisdom teeth extraction, cleft palate correction, teeth pulling, etc. Most of these oral surgeries do require general anesthesia, depending on just how invasive the oral surgery is. Here are a few examples of things that require oral surgery: *Shifted gums. Sometimes when a person has braces for a long period of time, the realignment of their teeth can cause the gums to shift into all sorts of weird positions. This is in part a cosmetic surgery, but it also helps to prevent the gums from accidentally getting bitten or cut by the teeth and thus prevents possible infections that could quickly spread to the jaw or teeth. *Impacted teeth. This doesn't just occur when you have impacted wisdom teeth. Other teeth can also become impacted. Impacted teeth can lead to infection if left sitting long enough. With wisdom, this can occur in the late teens to early twenties to even up to the forties. It all depends on when they start to grow in. *Cleft palate. Cleft palate is a birth defect in which the bottom or top palate and lip is split. It is not a tear or cut of any kind. This is the way they were formed. This can result in problems eating, problems with the development of teeth and, if corrected, will most likely mean that the child will need braces or some other corrective measures to ensure that their teeth grow in properly. However, there are many organizations that are willing to help those who cannot pay for these corrective surgeries, including Doctors Without Borders. Other Reasons for Oral Surgery: *Lesion Biopsy or Removal *Snoring or Sleep Apnea *Facial infections *Facial injury repair *Tooth Loss Oral Surgery Can Also Be Used To Treat Several Jaw Related Issues Such As: *Unequal jaw growth *Improve fit of dentures *Temporomandibular joint disorders Wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to develop in adults and sometimes don't emerge in alignment with the rest of your teeth, or don't emerge at all, becoming "impacted" between the jawbone and the gum tissue. Impacted wisdom teeth can result in swelling, pain, and infection of the tooth and surrounding gums, and can cause permanent damage to nearby teeth, gums, and bone. As you can see there are several reasons why a dentist may refer a patient to an oral surgeon. While surgery of any kind is a scary situation for most people make sure you feel confident that the oral surgeon you choose to do your oral surgery will do a great job. Once surgery is complete you will see all the benefits of oral surgery.
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