What Is Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery?

Dental and maxillofacial surgery is the field of science that enables medical or surgical treatment of all kinds of congenital or acquired diseases on the soft and hard tissues in the mouth, chin and surroundings. In more general terms, it focuses on all aesthetic, functional and phonetic problems.

Treatments of Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery

Dental and maxillofacial surgery has a broad field of operation in the mouth, chin and surroundings;

  • Tooth extraction
  • Impacted tooth operations
  • Wisdom tooth operations
  • Dental implant procedures
  • Tumor operations
  • Cyst operations
  • Abscess operations
  • Root apex operations
  • Chin operations are among the main fields of operation of dental and maxillofacial surgery.

Tooth and Bone Operations

Extraction of teeth that are impacted in the chin bone, complicated or grown in the wrong direction, or treatment of tooth-rooted endosseous lesions are performed by dental and maxillofacial surgeons. Correction of soft and hard tissues or elimination of tissue deficiency before the dental prosthesis or implant procedure also fall within the scope of dental and maxillofacial surgery. Furthermore, implant procedures are also conducted by dental and maxillofacial surgeons. Treatment of fractures in the chin and face as well as medical and surgical treatment of temporomandibular joint pain are within the scope of dental and maxillofacial, too.

Soft Tissue Diseases and Aesthetic Treatments

Dental and maxillofacial surgery enables treatment of soft tissue diseases and pain around the mouth and chin as well as tooth and bone interventions. It also provides treatment of cleft lip and palate and salivary gland diseases, and surgical operation when required. Correction of deformations that cause aesthetical and functional impairments on the mouth, chin and face using surgical operations is also performed by the specialists in this field.

Infection, Cancer and Tumor Treatments

This field enables medical and surgical treatment of all kinds of infections on the mouth, chin and face. Dental and maxillofacial surgery not only provides surgical treatment of cystic and tumoral formations on the chin but also deals with treatments of bone necrosis that occurs on the chin due to medicine and radiotherapy applied as part of the cancer treatment.

Operation Process

Dental and maxillofacial operations can generally be completed in a short time. While local anesthesia is sufficient for many intraoral surgical procedures, general anesthesia may be required in extensive operations on the mouth, chin and face. Besides, general anesthesia is used in patients for whom local anesthesia cannot be performed due to dental phobia or vomiting reflex, or a physical disability. General anesthesia is also used in children.

When Should Wisdom Teeth Be Pulled Out?

Wisdom teeth are positioned at the end of teeth set and come in between the ages of 17 and 25. They are known as wisdom teeth. Some individuals might have a total of four wisdom teeth on the upper and lower jaw whereas there might only be two on the upper jaw or just two on the lower jaw. And some people may have none.  If wisdom teeth have been able to correctly position themselves within the teeth set, i.e. come in completely, then there is no need to pull them out. In some cases, they may be impacted or half-impacted due to lack of space within the teeth set. Such impacted teeth (especially half-impacted ones) cause infections due to accumulation of food residues and bacteria. Patients might apply to the clinic with symptoms such as pain, swelling and not being able to open the mouth completely.  Besides, half-impacted teeth often lead to decays in the neighboring teeth in front of them by obstructing proper teeth cleaning. Cyst may be formed in the hard and soft tissue around the impacted teeth. In such a case, impacted tooth must be pulled out and cyst must be cleaned. When impacted teeth try to come in, they cause movement and crowding especially at the incisors. Pain and a feeling of squeeze might occur in the teeth due to the pressure applied by impacted teeth on the neighboring teeth. It is required to pull out the impacted tooth in such a case.

How Are Wisdom Teeth Pulled Out?

Impacted wisdom teeth operations are simple operations that are performed under local anesthesia. Sterilization is very important in the operation. It is painless. General anesthesia may be used in patients for whom local anesthesia cannot be performed due to dental phobia or vomiting reflex, or a physical disability. Extraction wound heals rapidly and easily especially in young patients. Therefore, it is important not to delay complaints related to wisdom teeth.