Dental surgery is any of a number of
medical procedureA medical procedure is a course of action intended to achieve a result in the care of persons with health problems.A medical procedure with the intention of determining, measuring or diagnosing a patient condition or parameter is also called a medical test...
s that involve artificially modifying
dentitionDentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age...
, in other words
surgerySurgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
of the teeth and jaw bones.
Types
Some of the more common are:
- Endodontic (surgery involving the pulp
The dental pulp is the part in the center of a tooth made up of living connective tissue and cells called odontoblasts.- Anatomy :Each person can have a total of up to 52 pulp organs, 32 in the permanent and 20 in the primary teeth....
or root of the toothTeeth are small, calcified, whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or for defensive purposes. The roots of teeth are embedded in the Mandible bone or the Maxillary bone and are...
)
- Root canal
A root canal is the space within the root of a tooth. It is part of a naturally occurring space within a tooth that consists of the pulp chamber , the main canal, and more intricate anatomical branches that may connect the root canals to each other or to the surface of the root.-Root canal anatomy:...
- Pulpotomy
A healthy tooth has a space inside it called the "pulp space" which is filled with soft tissues - nerves, blood vessels and pink connective tissue. It looks kind of like what you'd see underneath your skin if you grazed it...
The opening of the pulp chamber of the tooth to allow an infection to drain; Usually a precursor to a root canal
- Pulpectomy - The removal of the pulp from the pulp chamber to temporarily relieve pain; Usually a precursor to a root canal.
- Apicoectomy
A root end surgery, also known as apicoectomy , is an endodontic surgical procedure whereby a tooth's root tip is removed and a root end cavity is prepared and filled with a biocompatible material....
- A root-end resection. Occasionally a root canal alone will not be enough to relieve pain and the end of the tooth, called the apex, will be removed by entering through the gingivaThe gingiva , or gums, consists of the mucosal tissue that lies over the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth.-General description:...
and surgically extracting the diseased material.
- Prosthodontics
Prosthodontics, also known as dental prosthetics or prosthetic dentistry, is one of nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association, Royal College of Dentists of Canada, and Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons...
(dental prosthetics)
- Crowns
A crown is a type of dental restoration which completely caps or encircles a tooth or dental implant. Crowns are often needed when a large cavity threatens the ongoing health of a tooth. They are typically bonded to the tooth using a dental cement. Crowns can be made from many materials, which...
(caps) — artificial coverings of the tooth made from a variety of biocompatible materials, including CMC/PMC (ceramic/porcelain metal composite), gold or a tin/aluminum mixture. The underlying tooth must be reshaped to accommodate these fixed restorations
- Veneers
In dentistry, a veneer is a thin layer of restorative material placed over a tooth surface, either to improve the aesthetics of a tooth, or to protect a damaged tooth surface. There are two main types of material used to fabricate a veneer, composite and dental porcelain...
— artificial coverings similar to above, except that they only cover the forward (labial or buccal) surface of the tooth. Usually for aesthetic purposes only.
- Bridges
A bridge, also known as a fixed partial denture, is a dental restoration used to replace a missing tooth by joining permanently to adjacent teeth or dental implants....
— a fixed prothesis in which two or more crowns are connected together, which replace a missing tooth or teeth through a bridge. Typically used after an extraction.
- Implants
A dental implant is a "root" device, usually made of titanium, used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth....
— a procedure in which a titanium implant is surgically placed in the bone (mandible or maxilla), allowed to heal, and 4-6 months later an artificial tooth is connected to the implant by cement or retained by a screw.
- Dentures (false teeth) — a partial or complete set of dentition which either attach to neighboring teeth by use of metal or plastic grasps or to the gingival or palatial surface by use of adhesive.
- Implant-supported prosthesis — a combination of dentures and implants, bases are placed into the bone, allowed to heal, and metal appliances are fixed to the gingival surface, following which dentures are placed atop and fixed into place.
- Orthodontic treatment
- Implants and implant-supported prosthesis — also an orthodontic treatment as it involves bones
- Apiectomy — also an orthodontic treatment as part of the underlying bone structure must be removed.
- Extraction
A dental extraction is the removal of a tooth from the mouth. Extractions are performed for a wide variety of reasons, including tooth decay that has destroyed enough tooth structure to render the tooth non-restorable...
— a procedure in which a diseased, redundant, or problematic tooth is removed, either by pulling or cutting out. This procedure can be done under local or general anesthesiaAnesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
and is very common — many people have their wisdom teeth removed before they become problematic.
- Fiberotomy
A fiberotomy or pericision is an orthodontic surgical procedure designed to sever the gingival fibers around a tooth. It usually reduces the tendency to relapse of tooth rotations corrected by dental braces or other treatments....
— a procedure to sever the fibers around a tooth, preventing it from relapsing.
Professional dental care
Regular tooth cleaning by a dental professional is recommended to remove tartar (mineralized plaque) that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing, especially in areas of the mouth that are difficult to clean. Professional cleaning includes tooth scaling and
tooth polishingTooth polishing is the act of smoothing the tooth surface. The purpose of polishing is to make it difficult for plaque to accumulate on the surface area. Common practice is to use a prophy cup—a small motorized rubber cup—along with an abrasive polishing compound....
, as well as
debridementDebridement is the medical removal of a patient's dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue...
if too much
tartarIn dentistry, calculus or tartar is a form of hardened dental plaque. It is caused by the continual accumulation of minerals from saliva on plaque on the teeth...
has accumulated. This involves the use of various instruments and/or devices to loosen and remove tartar from the teeth. Most dental hygienists recommend having the teeth professionally cleaned at least every six months .
More frequent cleaning and examination may be necessary during the treatment of many different dental/oral disorders or due to recent surgical procedures such as dental implants. Routine examination of the teeth by a dental professional is recommended at least every year. This may include yearly, select dental X-rays. See also
dental plaqueDental plaque is a biofilm, usually a pale yellow, that develops naturally on the teeth. Like any biofilm, dental plaque is formed by colonizing bacteria trying to attach themselves to a smooth surface...
identification procedure and removal.
Dental instruments and restorative materials
Dental anesthesia
Dentists
injectAn injection is an infusion method of putting fluid into the body, usually with a hollow needle and a syringe which is pierced through the skin to a sufficient depth for the material to be forced into the body...
anesthetic to block sensory transmission by the
alveolar nerveAlveolar nerve may refer to:*Inferior alveolar nerve*Anterior superior alveolar nerve*Posterior superior alveolar nerve*Middle superior alveolar nerve...
s. The
superior alveolar nervesSuperior alveolar nerves can refer to:* Anterior superior alveolar nerve* Posterior superior alveolar nerve* Middle superior alveolar nerve...
are not usually anesthetized directly because they are difficult to approach with a
needleA hypodermic needle is a hollow needle commonly used with a syringe to inject substances into the body or extract fluids from it...
. For this reason, the maxillary teeth are usually anesthetized locally by inserting the needle beneath the
oral mucosaThe oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium of the mouth. It can be divided into three categories.*Masticatory mucosa, para-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, found on the dorsum of the tongue, hard palate and attached gingiva....
surrounding the teeth. The
inferior alveolar nerveThe inferior alveolar nerve is a branch of the mandibular nerve, which is itself the third branch of the trigeminal nerve .-Path:...
is probably anesthetized more often than any other nerve in the body. To anesthetize this nerve, the dentist inserts the needle somewhat posterior to the patient’s last
molarMolars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. In many mammals they grind food; hence the Latin name mola, "millstone"....
.
See also
- Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
- Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is surgery to correct a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. It is an internationally recognized surgical specialty...
- Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
- Tooth extraction
- Wisdom tooth
A wisdom tooth, in humans, is any of the usually four third molars. Wisdom teeth usually appear between the ages of 17 and 25. Most adults have four wisdom teeth, but it is possible to have fewer , or more, in which case they are called supernumerary teeth...
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