Oral surgery can take on issues like tooth loss with dental implants, remove wisdom teeth, and help address concerns with the balance and function of your jaw. But what should you expect from this treatment process? In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa, CA, oral and maxillofacial surgeons talk about what to expect from oral surgery.
When You Need Treatment
As we touched on above, we can use oral surgery to handle complex oral health issues or kids, adults, and even seniors. We have experience taking on complicated cases, and our doctors are even members of the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Trauma Team. We can address missing teeth with dental implants or extract wisdom teeth to safeguard the smile’s appearance and health. We can treat facial trauma, improve the jaw, and even rebuild smiles with grafting or a sinus lift. Our team will be able to help you smile with confidence, as we take your smile’s esthetics into account as part of the treatment too.
Planning Care with Advanced Technology
To begin, we want to examine your smile with advanced imaging technology, such as digital x-rays and CBCT systems. These allow us to look at your jaw and oral structures with detail, so we can plan treatment to avoid contact with sinus cavalries, nerve tissues, and blood vessels. Every smile is unique, so we always take a customized approach.
Getting Ready
You know how we will prepare for your oral surgery, but how do you prepare? Depending on the sedation options we use, you may need to avoid food and drink for about eight hours before the procedure begins, and we will typically schedule them for the morning. You should wear loose and comfortable clothing, and you can bring a blanket or a pillow if that helps you feel more comfortable. Be sure you have someone to take you home, as the calming medications we provide could leave you a little groggy afterward too.
Anesthesia and Dental Sedation
We want to ensure your visit is a comfortable one too! With anesthesia, we can add a numbing medication to the area being treated, so we can keep you comfortable. Our team can also offer dental sedation to help you enter a deep state of calm and relaxation. With nitrous oxide, we administer this through a mask over your nose. You enter a deep state of calm, but stay conscious and able to respond to our team. The effects wear off once the procedure ends, you can even drive yourself home in some cases.
With oral medication, we offer a deeper state through the administration of a pill or liquid before the procedure begins. You are still conscious, but the effects take time to wear off, so have someone on hand to take you home. The deepest form is IV, administered intravenously. Again, you need someone available to take you home afterward. The option we choose is based on your age, weight, medical history, and any medications you are currently taking, as well as your overall anxiety levels.
During Care
During the treatment, we will be monitoring you the entire time to ensure you are comfortable and properly sedated. Our team may work alongside your general dentist or orthodontics too, ensuring your care treatment continues once the surgical portion is complete. Procedures could take as little as 30 minutes in some case, such as tooth extraction, while others could be more involved and take longer. We will take time to talk to you about what to expect in detail before the procedure begins.
After Care
When the procedure ends, we will provide instructions to help ensure the area can heal quickly, such as resting, avoid straw use, and begin very gentle when you brush and floss, and eating soft foods for the first day or two. Our team will also provide prescriptions for medications to help you stay comfortable during the healing period, and we will see you in a follow-up appointment too. If you have any questions about our approach to oral surgery, or if you would like to schedule a visit to take on serious issues like facial trauma or tooth loss, then contact our team today to learn more.
Learn More About Our Approach to Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA
We want to offer treatment to help you smile with confidence and enjoy better oral health with oral surgery. To learn more about how we help rebuild and improve oral health, then give us a call at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery at (707)545-4625 today!
