Dr. Estes and her team are committed to ensuring each patient and their families receive excellent care using state-of-the-art treatment options.
Let us talk a little about getting Oral Surgery services with your orthodontist Dr. Laurie Estes right here in Albany, CA. Several procedures are categorized as Oral Surgery, ranging from the removal of teeth to bone reconstructions.
There are more straightforward procedures like root canals, where the dental health professional has to numb a region of the patient’s mouth to clear infected or dead tissues.
Other cases call for more invasive procedures, such as removing impacted teeth, like wisdom teeth. And, of course, you have complex maxillofacial surgeries that require an oral surgeon specialist.
We orthodontists try to correct any problems with the alignment of a patient’s jaws and teeth during their development and even long after that period. But there are situations where a patient’s jaw never fully develops. That is why we have orthognathic surgery.
Simply put, orthognathic surgery enables a specialist to correct severe problems with a patient’s jaw development and alignment. This type of surgery requires careful planning and cooperation between orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons.
A patient may require pre-surgical orthodontic treatment, but this is not always the case. Remember that every patient’s journey is different, so consult with a professional team before making up your mind.
In some cases, pre-surgical orthodontic preparation will be vital in achieving optimal resources in orthognathic surgery. This complex type of oral surgery can help correct jaw malformations, facial asymmetry, open bites, and more.
You should consider that these interventions require a dedicated hospital environment, which means multidisciplinary teams, and maybe, general anesthesia. The surgery itself may last several hours, and your recovery period can go for a couple of weeks to allow your jaw to heal correctly.
If your orthodontist recommended oral surgery, make sure you plan to have some time off work or school to rest as much as you need and heal. As with any invasive procedures, there are risks you should take into account. Some of the risks include:
Although, generally speaking, these procedures are safe when performed by an experienced maxillofacial surgeon. Furthermore, consider that patients who undergo oral surgery get considerable relief from pain, and improve their biting, chewing, swallowing, and speaking.
Other patients obtain relief from obstructive sleep apnea and correct facial asymmetry cases such as small chins, underbites, overbites, and crossbites.
We will only recommend this type of invasive procedure if there are no alternatives to correcting a patient’s orthodontic and developmental complications.
You can trust the team at Estes Orthodontics to do our best to manage the alignment aspects of your treatment and work in harmony with the oral surgeon specialists to achieve the desired results.
Make sure you schedule an appointment with us to get an initial review of your case to begin working on the strategy needed to give you the smile you deserve.
Our office is right here in Albany; you can find us just off San Pablo Avenue. If you have ever been to Albany Hill Park, chances are you were pretty close to our office already. Click here to get directions to our office from your current location.
Hope to see you soon!
Oral surgery refers to any procedure performed in or around your mouth. You could count the following as Oral Surgeries: tooth extractions, implants, and even root canals. Usually other complex and invasive procedures include orthognathic surgeries.
It depends on what the patient needs. Extractions are simple, routine procedures. The correction of the bone structure during maxillofacial surgery requires a dedicated environment, anesthesia, and a more prolonged recovery procedure.
No. As the procedures become more complex, your dental health professionals will recommend using anesthetics to prevent the feeling of pain during the treatment. Oral Surgery doesn’t have to be painful.
Absolutely yes. We would recommend patients recovering from any procedure considered oral surgery to drink a little more water per day than what is usual. Water will help gently rinse away food particles and promote healing.
First and foremost: take it easy. Give yourself enough time to rest after any procedure to start healing. Second: follow your orthodontist’s directions. Avoid eating certain foods as indicated by your orthodontist, and brush your teeth gently.
Dr. Estes and her team are committed to ensuring each patient and their families receive excellent care using state-of-the-art treatment options.