Oral Surgery - Patient Information

Examples of oral surgery procedures may include removal broken or decayed teeth, removal of retained roots of teeth, removal of impacted wisdom teeth, removal of soft lumps and bumps or surgical root canal treatments through the apices of teeth.

The following information is generic and may not necessarily be relevant to the procedure that is planned for you.

I fully expect that your appointment will go very smoothly.

Before your appointment

Your allocated time is an ARRIVAL TIME, and not necessarily the time that you will see me. There are a number of arrangements that are required before your treatment can start, so please arrive on time.

Have a light meal before you arrive, unless instructed otherwise.

You should inform me of any allergies you have and any medical conditions you have ever been diagnosed with, even if you believe that they are not relevant to your oral surgery treatment.

Take all your regular medications as normal, unless instructed otherwise.

Bring a list of any medications that you take, and if you have had any blood tests within the few days prior to your appointment, bring the results with you.

Patients having treatment under local anaesthetic alone may drive to and from their appointments.

Before the procedure

I will see you and make a full assessment and discuss everything with you. You must take this opportunity to ask all questions that you may have. You must ensure that you understand everything before agreeing for the surgical procedure to be performed.

Dental Implants

If replacing an extracted tooth with a dental implant is something that interests you, please inform me prior to the procedure, as it will necessitate a slightly different surgical technique.

The procedure

Most oral surgery procedures can be completed within 45 minutes. The majority take even less time.

You will initially be made numb with a number of small scratches in the gum as necessary. I will first ensure you are numb before embarking on the procedure. It is normal to feel a substantial amount of pressure and pushing, however it is not sharp and does not hurt. If it does, then you must inform me so that the numbness can be maintained.

Sometimes, opening the gum may be necessary to access the site of surgery. This feels no different. A machine that vibrates and sprays water may then be used. Once the procedure is completed, the gum will be placed back in position with stitches. Unless informed otherwise, you can assume that I have used dissolvable stitches, so there would be no need for you to return to have them removed.

After the procedure

I will not discharge you until satisfied that there are no concerns such as bleeding. I will provide you instructions on how to take care of your mouth during the healing phase.

The jawbone is no different from any other bone in your body, so as you would expect with an operation on any bone, such as in your leg or arm, there may be a small degree of discomfort after the procedure. This is normally readily controlled with simple painkillers such as Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. Swelling, bruising and stiffness of the jaw are not uncommon.

Potential risks and complications

Complications are rare and therefore should not be expected, but it is important to recognise that they are possible. As is the case with any intervention, the risks and benefits must be carefully considered prior to proceeding with surgery.

Procedures involving lower teeth may rarely cause trauma to a nerve that runs through the lower jaw and supplies the lip, chin, gums and tongue with feeling. This may result in an altered sensation of any of these areas, which could be anything ranging from numbness, tingling, pins and needles, burning, or even pain. In most cases, the feeling returns to normal eventually, but very rarely, the effect may be permanent. I will discuss this in more detail with you, including the relative chances of it affecting you in particular. In the greatest majority of people, it is reasonable to expect that nothing untoward will happen at all.

Procedures involving upper back teeth may affect your sinuses, which lie just above the teeth. Sometimes, a small opening occurs between the mouth and the sinus, which tends to heal spontaneously depending on its size. If it doesn’t, it can be managed with another small surgical procedure involving stretching the gum across the opening.

Operating on a tooth requires leaning on the adjacent tooth. If this is heavily restored or has a crown, or is decayed and fragile, then there is a susceptibility for the tooth to fracture or the restoration to be dislodged. This would then require you to return to your dentist for further management.

Working on your back teeth involves stretching your lips so it is not uncommon for them to be a little sore or chapped after the procedure. A little Vaseline will help.

Smokers and patients on particular medications may have delayed healing and susceptibility to infections. I will discuss the relevance of this to you.

Questions

You should always feel free to ask any questions, before, during or after your procedure. I am here to take care of you and you are fully in control of everything that happens.