Oral surgeons are like a specialized dentist. They are able to do things that dentists are not allowed to do like performing surgery and invasive procedures. When you visit an oral surgeon in San Antonio they will be able to perform many things that dentists cannot, including: cleft lip correction, implants, impacted tooth removal (like with wisdom teeth), treatment of infections and relief of sleep apnea.
When a person is born with a cleft lip or palette, their lip and nose area has not been completely formed and can cause many problems. An oral surgeon is able to correct this by performing several surgeries throughout the patient’s childhood and, sometimes, life. Although it does take more than one surgery to correct this problem, if handled by a good surgeons, it can look almost completely normal by the time adulthood is reached.
After a tooth is lost, the mouth is left with a space where their tooth was. This can be embarrassing to a person and can sometimes cause discomfort when eating or talking. If the mouth is strong enough and the bone able to withstand it, an oral surgeon can fit and place a dental implant that looks like an actual tooth.
Impacted teeth are teeth that are unable to cut through the gums and develop normally. They can be extremely uncomfortable and are often removed before they can even start creating problems. The most popular teeth to be removed this way are wisdom teeth. An oral surgeon will remove these in teens and young adults so they will not have problems with them later on in life.
An infection of the face can become a serious problem that causes health issues along with discomfort performing everyday activities. If your dentist sees one of these problems, he can refer you to an oral surgeon that can diagnose, treat and prevent it from happening again. It is important you see an oral surgeon if you are having any difficulty eating or talking because these could be signs of dangerous infections.
Sleep apnea is a disorder which can cause a person to stop breathing while sleeping. This problem can usually be corrected with medicine, therapy or breathing treatments. If the problem becomes severe, an oral surgeon is able to cut out parts of the mouth palette that will leave the patient’s airways completely open while sleeping.
A dentist will help you take care of your mouth for routine things and help treat them, but an oral surgeon is able to address more serious problems. They are highly trained, medical professionals who can treat or repair almost any oral disease or problem a patient has. Look today for oral surgeons in San Antonio.