Oral Surgery
Cuts & Lacerations
Cuts and lacerations anywhere on the face require meticulous attention. If stitches are needed, placement must be precise to ensure a proper cosmetic result. When facial bones are broken, maxillofacial surgery is needed to restore the bone structure, including the jaw bones. A fractured jaw may require metal braces to be attached to the teeth and wires or strong rubber bands to hold the jaws in place and allow the bones to heal. Patients with few or no teeth may need dentures or special dental splints to align and fix the fracture. Severe fractures can require surgery to wire together broken bones or secure them with metal plates.
Denture Problems
Long-time denture wearers frequently experience loss of supporting bone, and dentures may no longer fit comfortably. In these cases, the jawbone may require additional surgical treatment, and soft tissue corrections may also be necessary. In cases of severe shrinkage of the jawbone, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon may recommend a bone graft to add bone where little remains.
Grafts
Soft tissue grafts are sometimes performed to treat gum disease, or correct other abnormalities.
The procedure involves taking gum tissue from the palate or another donor source to cover an exposed root in order to even the gum line and reduce sensitivity.
Periodontal procedures are available to stop further dental problems and gum recession, and to improve the esthetics of your gum line. For example, an exposed tooth root resulting from gum recession may not be causing you pain or sensitivity, but is causing one or more of your teeth to look longer than the others. In other cases, an exposed tooth root causes severe pain because it is exposed to extremes in temperatures or different kinds of food and liquids.
Once contributing factors are controlled, a soft tissue graft procedure will repair the defect and help to prevent additional recession and bone loss.
Soft tissue grafts can be used to cover roots or develop gum tissue where absent due to excessive gingival recession. During this procedure, healthy gum tissue is taken from your palate or another donor source to cover the exposed root. This can be done for one tooth or several teeth to even your gum line and reduce sensitivity.
A soft tissue graft can reduce further recession and bone loss. In some cases, it can cover exposed roots to protect them from decay. This may reduce tooth sensitivity and improve esthetics of your smile.
Jaw Correction
Take a close look at your bite and appearance. Does your chin stick out or recede? Do your teeth fit together properly? Do you have "buck" teeth? Are your teeth malaligned? If so, you may benefit from maxillofacial surgery.
If your upper and lower jaws grow at different rates or one or both jaws grow too much or too little, you may have a jaw abnormality that results in poor teeth alignment, as well as problems with speaking and chewing.
The tongue and lips may be forced to move awkwardly during speech and swallowing in an attempt to compensate for the poor jaw alignment. There may be a speech defect or excessive mouth breathing. An improper bite may threaten the long-term health of your gums and teeth. Cosmetically, jaws of different sizes can affect your appearance in an adverse way.
When unequal jaw growth is the source of the problem, corrective jaw surgery may be necessary. Orthodontic treatment (braces or other appliances) may also be needed to allow the teeth to align properly. Corrective jaw surgery involves moving all or part of the upper and/or lower jaw into a more favorable position. For example, the entire jaw can be moved backward if it`s too large.
The goal of corrective jaw surgery is to improve function and restore your facial balance. Some people have facial abnormalities involving just the upper face, cheek bones and nose. These can also be surgically corrected. The bones are repositioned so the facial features are more symmetrical. This is usually accompanied by the return of normal breathing, speaking and eating patterns. After the jaws are moved into their new position, rubber bands or wires attached to the teeth may be used to fasten the jaws together during healing. As an alternative, rigid internal fixation with miniature screws and plates may be used to allow you to open and close your jaws sooner after corrective surgery.
Tempromandibular Joint Problems
Disease or dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is one common source of headache and facial pain. The TMJ is a "ball and socket" joint that allows the lower jaw to move and function and is located in front of the ear where the skull and lower jaw meet. TMJ disorders have a variety of symptoms. Individuals may complain of earaches, headaches and limited ability to open the mouth. They may also complain of clicking or grating sounds in the joint and painful opening and closing of the mouth. Arthritis is a known culprit in TMJ disorders. TMJ also can be caused by a sudden injury, or years of teeth grinding.
Displacement or dislocation of the disc that is located between the jawbone and the socket also can lead to TMJ. Injury or rheumatoid arthritis can cause parts of the joint to fuse, preventing jaw movement altogether. Stress can trigger pain in the jaw muscles that is very similar to that caused by TMJ problems. Arthroscopic joint surgery is minimally invasive and has proven effective in resolving advanced TMJ disorders.