Oral Surgery

Simple
It may be necessary to extract a tooth for several reasons, such as: existence of extensive caries and impossibility of restoration; severe bone loss or the need to gain space in the dental arch. These surgeries are usually performed under local anesthesia, depending on the degree of complexity of the same.

Complex
It is considered a complex extraction whenever to extract a tooth it is necessary to cut bone or tooth. Very destroyed teeth, that are ankylosed - teeth that are "glued" to the bone - and even impacted teeth - teeth that have not erupted normally - require complex extractions.

Teeth can be included due to lack of space in the arch, because they have an abnormal anatomy or because they are poorly positioned in the bone. If not removed, the constant pressure caused by the attempted eruption can cause a number of problems, such as reabsorption or decay in the surrounding teeth, inflammation, pain and crowding (poor positioning of the teeth). This problem is quite common in wisdom teeth, the last ones to be born.

Caused by microorganisms such as fungi or bacteria, orofacial infections can affect the oral cavity or neighboring areas (maxillary sinus, salivary glands, etc.). Although small infections can be resolved through the administration of antibiotics, the more complex ones require surgical intervention.

The cysts and tumors of the orofacial region may be related to infected or included teeth, but may also have no relation or origin in any tooth.

Usually these lesions do not cause pain and are "discovered" on radiographs or check-up appointments. When they appear they should be removed and sent for analysis for identification. Removal of cysts or tumors requires surgical intervention

The salivary glands are responsible for the production of saliva. The most frequent dysfunction results in dry mouth (xerostomia), with consequences for chewing, swallowing, nutrition, speech and breathing. In its origin may be bacterial or viral infections, systemic disorders (Sjögren's syndrome, HIV, lupus, diabetes or Alzheimer's), tumors or interference of certain drugs. The reduction of saliva production also has an effect on the risk of developing cavities, since it acts as a "tooth protector". To determine the cause of salivary gland diseases, the most commonly used diagnostic tools are Rx, computed tomography and salivary flow assessment.

Located near the ear, the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) establishes the union of the mandible with the skull. The dysfunctions of this joint may be related to problems of bad dental relation that cause imbalance in the joints, muscles and ligaments. Patients with this disorder usually complain of the following symptoms: headaches, ears, eyes, face and neck, as well as difficulties in chewing, tinnitus, nausea and dizziness. The treatment of TMD dysfunction involves the elimination of causal factors, so it is often necessary to articulate with orthodontic treatment, with implantology interventions to replace missing teeth, or with Orthognathic surgery.

Sometimes the teeth do not erupt due to lack of space in the arcade getting impacted in the bone. In these cases, and after creating space in the arcade with the use of orthodontic appliance, it may be necessary to expose them and pull them so that they position themselves correctly and next to the others. We talk in orthodontic traction whenever you need this surgery exposure of a tooth is needed to integrate the braces.

This phenomenon often occurs with upper canines due to the fact that they are the last to erupt in the anterior region of the maxilla.

Complex clinical situations resulting from infections or accidents with significant loss of bone structure may require bone graft surgery. These interventions are performed in an integrated way with other specialties, namely maxillofacial or general surgery, for the eventual harvesting of bone to be grafted.

At MALO CLINIC we always try to avoid using grafts for rehabilitation, since we have a wide variety of implants and other solutions in case of problems or absences of teeth.

However, the need for bone presence is not limited to the placement of implants. Large bone defects, oroantral communications jaw fracture injuries are examples of clinical situations in which these procedures can be used.