Considerations to Choose the Best Oral Surgeon in Sydney

A visit to the dentist usually creates fears and bad memories about painful dental experiences. Researchers have found that millions of people fail to get necessary dental care because they're afraid to go to the dentist. On the other hand, some oral surgeons in Sydney employs advanced dental care procedures to overcome your fear of the dental chair.

While coming to the point of wisdom teeth removal, choosing the right dental surgeon is an important task which should not be compromised. Here is a list of simple tips to choose the best oral surgeon in Sydney.

Experience and expertise is the top most factors to be considered while choosing a dental surgeon. General dentist is capable of performing simple extraction procedure but only an experienced dental surgeon can ensure 100% safe removal.

To understand the depth of the infection, some complex cases of infected wisdom teeth may require CT scans and x-rays. An ideal dental clinic should offer a great facility for the dental surgeon to perform the wisdom teeth removal procedure to ensure a perfect oral health for its patients.

A quality oral surgeon should have completed specific courses and received several awards and accreditations in their specialised areas from the leading associations. This assures patients that they are in the well experienced hands to tackle their dental problem.

Moreover, a professional dental surgeon should be able to prioritise a treatment schedule that helps his patients to distinguish problems needing immediate attention from those that are less urgent. Also, understand the fees, method and schedule of payment before accepting the treatment procedure.

Take Care Tips after Wisdom Teeth Removal

When those third molars begin to affect your oral health having them removed is the smartest decision you can ever make! If you are about to remove your wisdom teeth then don’t get panic. Here are a few aftercare instructions to ensure proper healing following wisdom teeth removal.

•    Start your recovery procedure before the surgery. Talk to your dentist and discuss about the general guidelines that you should follow after wisdom tooth extraction.

•    Watch what you eat! Right after your surgery, stick to a diet consisting of liquids and then gradually add solid foods to your diet.

•    Bleeding is unavoidable in wisdom tooth extraction, so place a gauze pad over the extraction site for 30 minutes after surgery. In cases of heavy bleeding use a moistened tea bag for the same amount of time. This is because tannic acid in the tea reduces the size of blood vessels and helps the blood clot set.

•    Limit eating, drinking and talking for the first two hours after surgery.

•    Avoid vigorous mouth rinsing and touching the wound area after surgery.

•    Take medication every 4 to 6 hours after surgery to eliminate the pain after getting wisdom tooth removal. Usually the pain in the wounded area subsides day by day but if still pain persists, or increases after 36 hours contact your dentist immediately.

•    Using anaesthesia might cause nausea and vomiting, and in such cases stop taking anything by mouth for at least an hour including the prescribed medicine.

Following wisdom tooth extraction, there will be a hole where the tooth was removed but will gradually heal over the next 4-6 weeks with a new tissue. Till then, keep the area clean after meals by rinsing salt-water or toothbrush.

Choose Your Oral Surgeon Carefully

If you have some pain in your mouth that you do not think your dentist can fix, you have the option of going to an oral surgeon to get help. A professional that is licensed to do different kinds of operations or surgeries to correct and remedy oral defects is called an oral surgeon. He treats severe oral problems such as wisdom teeth removal, teeth replacement and more.

If you’re hunting for an oral surgeon in Sydney, you should check if he/she is skilled in the following:

•    Dental Implants

An oral surgeon should be experienced in dental implants. He should be able to reconstruct bone in areas requiring it for implant placement and, when necessary or desired, modify gum tissue around the implants to produce a more natural and attractive appearance.

•    Wisdom Teeth Removal

An oral surgeon should remove impacted and damaged teeth and provide in-office anaesthesia services, including intravenous (IV) sedation and general anaesthesia.

•    Evaluating pathologic conditions

Oral surgeons must be skilled in treating patients with benign cysts and tumours of the mouth and face, as well as people with malignant oral, head and neck cancer, and severe infections of the oral cavity, salivary glands, jaws and neck.

•    Constructive & Cosmetic Surgery

Oral surgeons should have experience in correcting jaw, facial bone and facial soft tissue problems that result from trauma or the removal of cysts and tumours.

•    Corrective Jaw Surgery

Oral surgeons should correct minor and major skeletal and dental jaw irregularities to improve chewing, speaking and breathing. They also surgically correct birth defects of the face and skull, such as cleft lip and cleft palate.

Tips to Choose an Oral Surgeon

•    Your dentist’s recommendation

•    Experience & training

•    Professional membership

•    Practice information

•    Insurance & payment plans

Once you’ve chosen the best oral surgeon in Sydney, go ahead with your dental treatment and bring life to your smile.

Gain Some Wisdom on Wisdom Teeth Removal

“A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew.” – Herb Caen Quotes

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early 20s. Some people never develop wisdom teeth. For others, wisdom teeth erupt normally just as their other molars did and cause no problems. Sometimes these teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth when healthy and properly aligned, but more often, they are misaligned and require removal.

When is Wisdom Teeth Removal Needed?

1.    Damage to other teeth

That extra set of molars can push your other teeth around, causing mouth pain and bite problems.

2.    Jaw Damage

Cysts can form around the new teeth. If they aren’t treated, they can hollow out your jaw and damage nerves.

3.    Alignment

Sometimes wisdom teeth can undo the effects of braces, bridges, crowns, partial dentures or any type of dental work.

4.    Cavities

Swollen gums can create pockets between teeth that help bacteria to grow and cavities to form.

5.    Inflamed Gums

Tissue around the area can swell and may be hard to clean.

Diagnosis

A wisdom tooth removal is a relatively routine procedure. Your dentist or a dental specialist will recommend either local anaesthesia, if the teeth are erupted, or IV sedation or general anaesthesia, if the teeth are impacted. The oral surgeon will recommend the best anaesthetic option to the person who is having their wisdom teeth extracted.

Wisdom teeth removal procedures are simple minor surgeries which will give you permanent relief from repeated pain and infection.

What Happens Before and After Wisdom Teeth Removal?

Finally after deciding to remove your wisdom teeth, you may be curious to know what happens before the wisdom teeth removal and what may occur afterwards. Here’s a brief explanation for your wisdom teeth removal doubts.

Before Wisdom Teeth Removal

Before your wisdom teeth are removed, the teeth and the surrounding tissue will be numbed with a local anaesthetic -- the same type used to numb a tooth prior to having a cavity filled. In addition to the local anaesthetic to numb the pain, your Sydney wisdom teeth removal dentist or oral surgeon may decide that a sedative is desired to control any anxiety. Your dentist will probably recommend that you don't eat or drink after midnight on the night before surgery so that you are prepared for the anaesthetic.

After Wisdom Teeth Removal

In most cases, the recovery period lasts only a few days. Take painkillers as prescribed by your dentist or oral surgeon. The following tips will help speed your recovery.

•    Bite gently on the gauze pad periodically, and change pads as they become soaked with blood. Call your dentist who did wisdom tooth removal in Sydney if you still have bleeding 24 hours after your surgery.

•    While your mouth is numb, be careful not to bite the inside of your cheek or lip, or your tongue.

•    Relax after surgery. Physical activity may increase bleeding.

•    Eat soft foods, such as gelatine, pudding, or a thin soup. Gradually add solid foods to your diet as healing progresses.

•    Do not smoke for at least 24 hours after your surgery.

•    Avoid rubbing the area with your tongue or touching it with your fingers.

•    Continue to brush your teeth and tongue carefully.

Be sure that you follow your wisdom teeth removal dentist’s instructions for a speedy recovery.

Do I Need to Have my Wisdom Teeth Removed?

We all go through this ‘wisdom teeth’ phase in our late teens or early twenties. You may even end up wondering, ‘do I need to remove my wisdom teeth?’ which is a tricky question. And if you find yourself asking this question, then the following points may enlighten you.

Top Health Reasons to Remove your Wisdom Teeth

1.    There is limited space for wisdom teeth to erupt and because they are surrounded by gums, it is difficult to keep them clean and avoid infection or inflammation.

2.    With age, the chance for complications related to the removal of wisdom teeth increases.

3.    Wisdom teeth may contribute to crowding of nearby teeth.

4.    Gum disease and inflammation associated with wisdom teeth may lead to receding gum tissues, deterioration of the jawbone and tooth loss.

5.    Even when wisdom teeth erupt through the gum tissues, they rarely provide any meaningful function.

6.    Problems with wisdom teeth can lead to sinus, pain, pressure and congestion.

7.    Impacted wisdom teeth can undo the effects of braces, bridges, crowns, partial dentures, or any type of dental work.

8.    Cysts can form around new teeth. If they aren’t treated, they can hollow out your jaw and damage nerves.

9.    That extra set of molars can push your other teeth around, causing mouth pain and bite problems.

10.    Most importantly, wisdom teeth removal in Sydney gives you ‘Peace of Mind’.

Once you’ve decided to remove your wisdom teeth, it is important to consult with a Sydney wisdom teeth removal specialist for better results.

How Sydney Oral Surgeons Can Help You

An Oral Surgeon specialises in the area of dentistry wherein he/she deals with problems in mouth, neck, face, jaws, oral tissues and head. They are not to be confused with dental surgeons whose specialisation is restricted to dental health. It takes 12 to 14 years for one to complete their education and become an expert oral surgeon in Sydney. These surgeons can be of great help for the following cases:

1.    An Oral surgeon deals often with problems coupled with wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that appear during the early twenties. An impacted tooth can cause pains, discomfort and gum diseases. Oral surgeons can help you get rid of them at the right time if it bothers too much.

2.    The next case dealt by an oral surgeon is the loss of teeth. They offer quality solutions for replacing missing teeth, giving people great relief from such issues. Oral Surgeons in Sydney offer the option of dental implants as an alternative to missing teeth that might have been lost either due to accident or infection. These implants are anchored on jawbone for providing good stability to the artificial teeth. A qualified candidate should not be prone to infections and have a significant level of bone density.

3.    As an alternative to dental implants, oral surgeons also offer dentures for replacement of missing teeth. Before dentures are offered, the surgeon will examine the jaw area to see if the upper and lower jaws have a proper growth. Surgery shall be performed, in case of any irregularities, so that the functionality of dentures can be fully exploited.

4.    Certain events of accidents may cause facial damage extending to teeth that leads to certain issues that can be unbearably painful. As a corrective measure, reconstructive surgery will be performed by the oral surgeon. These experts can look into any trauma that has impacted the jaw or mouth.

A best oral surgeon in Sydney finds solutions to major facial injuries, and can give you treatments with an expertise that goes beyond that of dentists.