Dental Cases that Would Require Surgery

Most people ignore dental care as they think that it is just a waste of money– and that there are many other things to worry about. However, what they do not understand is that oral care is as important as curing a disease. It is the first stage of the digestive process in which most of the health conditions need to be satisfied. The problem therefore starts here; without proper oral care, there couldn’t be proper health care as well. Now, most of the dental procedures do not require a surgery– except some, which are for correction. Most corrective dental surgeries aim to make the lives of the patient better, while some of them can also alter a person’s look thereby somehow merging it with cosmetic surgery. Here are some dental cases that would require dental surgery:

A patient would be deemed to need to undergo a surgery if he or she has:

  • Experience The Difficulty Chewing Or Biting Food
  • Difficulty Swallowing
  • Chronic Jaw Or Jaw Joint (Tmj) Pain And Headache
  • Excessive Wear Of The Teeth
  • Open Bite Which Is A Case Where There Is A Space Between The Upper And Lower Teeth Even When The Mouth Is Closed
  • Unbalanced Facial Appearance From The Front, Or Side
  • Facial Injury Or Birth Defects
  • Receding Chin
  • Protruding Jaw
  • Inability To Make The Lips Meet Without Straining
  • Chronic Mouth Breathing And Dry Mouth
  • Sleep Apnea

The Corrective Jaw Surgery

Corrective jaw, or “orthognathic”, surgery should be performed by a licensed Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. The main purpose of the surgery is to correct minor and major skeletal and dental irregularities such as the misalignment of jaws and teeth. By doing so, it can improve chewing, speaking and sometimes even breathing. Another purpose of this type of surgery is to improve the the patient’s appearance. Meanwhile, “orthognathic” surgery is performed to correct functional problems.

Why undergo a corrective jaw surgery?

People who have an improper bite which is a result of the misaligned teeth and jaws are most likely candidates for the surgery. In other cases, there are times when the upper and lower jaws grow at different rates. Other causes of this includes accidents or birth defects.

Do you really need to undergo surgery?

To better understand your case, you should work closely with your dentist. Your dentist, orthodontist and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon should then work together to determine whether you are a prospective candidate for either corrective jaw or “orthognathic”, surgery. On the other hand, your Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon will determine which corrective jaw surgical procedure is most appropriate. He will also be the one to perform the surgery.

Correction of Common Dentofacial Deformities:

Open Bite

To correct this, some of the bone in the upper tooth-bearing portion of the jaw is to be removed. The upper jaw will then be secured in position using medical plates and screws.

Protruding Lower Jaw

The bone in the back portion of the jaw will be separated from the front portion and modified so that the tooth-bearing portion of the lower jaw can be moved back for proper alignment.

Receding Lower Jaw or “Weak Chin”

The bone in the lower portion of the jaw will be separated from its base and changed. The tooth-bearing portion of the lower jaw and a part of the chin are repositioned forward.

For whatever purpose the surgery will serve you, you should first be prepared to undergo physical, emotional and even financial pain. But no worries, as the saying goes, “No pain, no gain!”. It will all be worth it in the end.

Mel is a professional health blogger who writes interesting articles and contributes to popular sites like about.com. He recently did a research and also blogged on getting dental treatment abroad and how cheaper cost of treatment and use of latest technology helps