Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a common form of surgery that many people may not recognize by name. Basically, it involves treating issues in the oral (mouth) and maxillofacial (jaws and face) regions of a patient.
Dr. Sean Healy, Dr. Diego Hurtado, and our qualified team perform several types of oral and maxillofacial surgery at their Santa Fe, NM, practice to correct severe conditions or improve a patient’s bite. Reach out today to learn whether oral and maxillofacial surgery can help your treatment needs.
Understanding the Basics
So what is involved with oral-maxillofacial surgery, specifically? What areas does it cover? What are its benefits? The reasons and advantages of oral-maxillofacial surgery are many and it requires a significant amount of training and experience to become certified, but its worth to individual patients—and the medical field in general—is invaluable.
Our surgeons are trained to treat unexpected traumatic events, like accidents.
Benefits of Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery
The benefits of visiting an oral and maxillofacial surgeon include experience and training. In addition to treating routine issues caused by age and natural decay, our surgeons are well equipped for dealing with unexpected traumatic events like accidents. In addition, they can help with passive issues like trouble sleeping, a bad bite or even oral cancer.
Oral surgery is a dental specialty that involves 4-6 years of additional training in a hospital setting. Oral surgeons are required to rotate on cardiology, anesthesiology, general surgery, trauma surgery, plastic surgery, otolaryngology and internal medicine. The specialty is instrumental in treatment of facial deformities, reconstructive surgery, facial trauma, dental surgery, office based anesthesia, bone grafting/implants, etc.
Areas of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Oral and maxillofacial surgery covers a wide range of procedures. According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), “oral and facial surgeons have knowledge and expertise that uniquely qualifies them to diagnose and treat a number of functional and esthetic conditions.” These include:
- Dental implant surgery: If a tooth is lost or suffers considerable trauma, an oral surgeon can replace it with a durable, comfortable substitute known as a dental implant.
- Wisdom teeth management and/or removal: our oral surgeons can extract wisdom teeth, relieving discomfort or crowding issues – both simple extractions and complicated and/or impacted.
- Jaw-related conditions: Problems with the jaw can often lead to problems with your oral and overall health. Unequal growth, temporomandibular joint disorder, and ill-fitting dentures can lead to misaligned teeth, worn down gums, as well as considerable discomfort.
- Facial injuries, mainly those concerning the teeth
- Lesion removal and biopsy: The team at the Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Center of Santa Fe can take samples of unusual growths in and around the mouth to test them for oral cancer.
- Cleft lip and palate repair
- Facial infections: While most infections can be contained and cured with simple antibiotics, untreated conditions can become life-threatening emergencies. An oral surgeon can help diagnose and surgically treat the condition.
- Snoring or sleep apnea: Excess tissue in the throat can block the airway, leading to severe snoring and interrupted sleep, which can severely undermine a person’s long-term health. While oral appliances can often help, surgery may sometimes be necessary to clear the airway.
- All forms of anesthesia administration
Contact Us Today
If you’d like to know more about oral-maxillofacial surgery and how you may benefit from it, schedule a consultation with our office today! Now taking new patients for oral surgery from Santa Fe, Taos, Los Alamos and surrounding areas.
