
What is Dental Reconstructive Surgery?
Reasons for Maxillofacial Surgery in Burlington
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries typically mean lacerations to the facial area, either on the outside or the inside of a patient’s mouth. These types of injuries are usually repaired by suturing the wound (stitches) and a full recovery is normally expected. However, special care must be taken to not only minimize scarring, but also to ensure facial structures such as nerves, salivary ducts and salivary glands are not damaged or properly repaired.
Bone Injuries
These types of injuries to the facial region are often treated in a similar way to how fractures or breaks in other parts of the body are treated – with immobilization. However, unlike with a broken arm, a patient’s jaw bone cannot be put into a cast, meaning other methods of immobilization must be used to stabilize the break of fracture. One of the most common treatments if to wire the jaw together in order to immobilize the affected area so it can heal correctly. This technique is often referred to as “rigid fixation” and can help to treat many types of injuries to the facial bone structure.
Teeth & Surrounding Dental Structure Injuries
Knocked-out, broken or fractured teeth are a very common dental injury and can be easily treated by re-inserting the tooth if possible or by installing an artificial replacement (denture, bridge or artificial tooth). If an accident has occurred, the knocked-out tooth should be placed immediately in milk or salt water and your dentist should be visited asap to allow the best chance for a successful re-insertion. Remember not to wipe the knocked out tooth off as this can damage the vital ligaments that may still be attached. If a tooth is unable to be re-inserted, then some form of dental implant is recommended to replace the missing tooth and restore proper oral function.
It is important to visit your dentist as soon as possible after an accident so that the correct treatment options and path can be determined. Our clinic offers dental reconstructive surgery in Burlington and our team are experienced in both fixing the problems and taking care of our patient’s well-being throughout the process.
Conveniently Located In Burlington