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What is reconstructive oral surgery, and when would we recommend this procedure? Our Winnipeg dentists provide some facts, and signs of when patients may need it.
What is reconstructive oral surgery?
Accidents happen every day – from falls to incidents at work, sports injuries, car accidents or facial trauma, an injury to your teeth and mouth can be scary and stressful. They can also impact your oral health long-term.
An oral surgeon may recommend this dental surgery procedure to restore the appearance and function to your smile. Facial reconstruction surgery can actually be broken into two categories: soft tissue injuries and fractures.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries cover trauma to the gums or skin, such as cuts on the tongue, lips or inside of your cheek. These may also include lacerations to the hard or soft palate.
Fractures
If the tiny bone tissue in your mouth is injured - including the teeth, upper or lower jaw or facial bones - they could need reconstruction.
If you’ve suffered severe facial injuries to the forehead or nasal cavities you might require a larger reconstructive surgery.
As you might imagine, acquiring a jaw defect as a result of trauma or earlier surgery (e.g. ablative tumour surgery) can drastically impact your quality of life in terms of appearance and function – everything from swallowing and eating to speaking, appearance and self-confidence are affected.
You might require facial reconstructive surgery if you receive any of these dental services:
- Wisdom tooth removal
- Dental implants
- Jaw surgery
- Bone grafting
What does reconstructive surgery involve?
Facial injuries, knocked-out teeth and other traumatic injuries to the face and neck can leave patients struggling to eat, speak, chew and live a good quality of life. We use reconstructive surgery procedures to replace damaged or missing teeth, correct issues with the jaw joint and treat gum and jawbone damage. Depending on your injury or circumstance, dental implants or other treatment options may be used to repair the bone structure and jaw alignment.
Maxillofacial Reconstruction
Maxillofacial reconstruction can entail a range of procedures, from bone grafting to bone transplants with blood vessels for larger, more complex defects. This dental surgery can correct a wide range of defects, diseases and injuries in the face, neck, head and jaws, as well as the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial area.
Rehabilitation
After an oral and maxillofacial surgeon has completed the reconstructive oral surgery, the oral cavity (teeth and gums) must be rehabilitated and lost teeth and gums will be replaced so you can speak, eat and swallow normally again.
Your oral surgeon is uniquely qualified to provide comprehensive surgical care, guiding you through every stage of treatment, including:
- Ablative resection
- Microvascular reconstruction
- Dental implant placement
Though reconstructive oral surgery can sound intimidating, our dental and oral surgery team at Reflections Dental Health Centre is here to answer any questions you may have and address concerns throughout treatment.