
Talk to your Dentist First
See your dentist if you are experiencing pain in your jaw, teeth, gums or mouth.
If you have an emergency and a dentist cannot be reached, go to the urgent care clinic instead of the ER. If possible, avoid both. They may only prescribe medication to treat the symptoms, and then tell you to visit a dentist. They might charge you three to four times the cost of solving the problem. Your dentist can handle most oral problems. They will recommend an oral surgeon if they feel you are in need.
The Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeon
Maxillofacial surgery is a specialization of dentistry that deals with your jaws and face. This is surgery that treats diseases and injuries in the area around your mouth.
Oral and maxillofacial specialists have more education and training than is required for dentists. Along with their oral surgery diplomas, some get a medical degree (an MD). They complete at least four years of training with medical residents in hospital-based surgical programs. This includes IV sedation in various forms, such as “twilight” and general anesthesia. In this case, you are unconscious and don’t feel any pain. Local anesthesia can also be used, in which a small part of your body is numbed to assist with your procedure.
A variety of situations can be helped by an oral surgeon.
Immediate teeth. This is most common with wisdom teeth (also known as third molars). It can also happen elsewhere in your mouth.
Sometimes these teeth emerge from the gum line and the jaw is large enough to allow room for them, but most of the time, this is not the case. Sometimes the teeth may not come out fully or at all when they first come through the gums. This can cause sore gums and infections of the gum tissue surrounding the wisdom teeth. Additionally, impacted wisdom can cause severe damage to adjacent teeth, gums, bone, and bone. In some cases, cysts and tumors can form that can lead to complete jaw destruction.
A dentist or surgeon may recommend that you have your wisdom teeth removed before any complications arise. Sometimes wisdom teeth can become impacted and require to be extracted. The same problems can occur with other teeth such as the bicuspids or the cuspids.
Jaw-joint problems. Your jaw connects to your skull via the temporomandibular joints (TMJ). It is the little “hinge”, just in front of your ears. It can lead to problems such as pain in the jaw, jaw popping, stiffness, headaches, and jaw-popping. TMJ disorders can usually be treated using a combination of oral and surgical methods.MedikamentePhysical therapy, splints, and physical therapy are all options. Joint surgery can be an option in advanced cases or when a problem is specific to the joint.
You can get help with ice packs, pain medication, or oral devices. Oral surgery may be necessary for people who have recurring issues.