Dental surgery is any of a number of

medical procedure A medical procedure is a course of action intended to achieve a result in the delivery of healthcare. 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 dentition; in other words, surgery of the teeth, gums and jaw bones.

Types

Some of the more common are: * Endodontic (surgery involving the

pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material ...

or root of the

tooth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, t ...

) **

Root canal treatment Root canal treatment (also known as endodontic therapy, endodontic treatment, or root canal therapy) is a treatment sequence for the infected pulp of a tooth which is intended to result in the elimination of infection and the protection o ...

***

Pulpotomy Pulpotomy is a minimally invasive procedure performed in children on a primary tooth with extensive caries but without evidence of root pathology. The minimally invasive endodontic techniques of vital pulp therapy (VPT) are based on improved unders ...

— the opening of the pulp chamber of the tooth to allow an infection to drain; usually a precursor to a root canal ***

Pulpectomy Root canal treatment (also known as endodontic therapy, endodontic treatment, or root canal therapy) is a treatment sequence for the infected pulp of a tooth which is intended to result in the elimination of infection and the protection o ...

— 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 ('' apico-'' + '' -ectomy''), apicectomy ('' apic-'' + '' -ectomy''), retrograde root canal treatment (''c.f.'' orthograde root canal treatment) or root-end filling, is an endodontic surgical procedu ...

— a root-end resection. Occasionally a root canal alone is enough to relieve pain and the end of the tooth, called the apex, is removed by entering through the

gingiva The gums or gingiva (plural: ''gingivae'') consist of the mucosal tissue that lies over the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth. Gum health and disease can have an effect on general health. Structure The gums are part of the soft tissue lin ...

and surgically extracting the diseased material. *

Prosthodontics Prosthodontics, also known as dental prosthetics or prosthetic dentistry, is the area of dentistry that focuses on dental prostheses. It is one of 12 dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA), Royal College of Surgeo ...

(dental prosthetics) **

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

(caps) — artificial covering of a 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 — artificial coverings similar to above, except that they only cover the forward (labial or buccal) surface of the tooth. Usually for aesthetic purposes only. **

Bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

— 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. ** Implant — 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. **

Denture Dentures (also known as false teeth) are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and are supported by the surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable ( removable partial denture or ...

s (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 palatal 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 Orthodontics is a dentistry specialty that addresses the diagnosis, prevention, management, and correction of mal-positioned teeth and jaws, and misaligned bite patterns. It may also address the modification of facial growth, known as dentofacial ...

treatment ** Implants and implant-supported prosthesis — also an orthodontic treatment as it involves bones *

— also an orthodontic treatment as part of the underlying bone structure must be removed ** Extraction — 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 anesthesia and is very common — many people have their

wisdom teeth A third molar, commonly called wisdom tooth, is one of the three molars per quadrant of the human dentition. It is the most posterior of the three. The age at which wisdom teeth come through ( erupt) is variable, but this generally occurs betw ...

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. The most frequently ...

— a procedure to sever the fibers around a tooth, preventing it from relapsing * Periodontics * Oral and maxillofacial surgery (a surgical specialty that usually requires both dental and medical qualification)

Professional dental care

More frequent than usual 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. The American Dental Association (ADA) stresses that the frequency of dental visits necessary is dependent upon the needs of each individual with some able to go once or twice a year and others needing to go more often. This may include yearly, select dental X-rays. See also dental plaque identification procedure and removal.

Dental instruments and restorative materials

Dental anesthesia

Dentists A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry (the diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity and other aspects of the craniofacial comp ...

inject

anesthetic An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia ⁠— ⁠in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into two ...

to block sensory transmission by the alveolar nerves. The superior alveolar nerves are not usually anesthetized directly because they are difficult to approach with a needle. For this reason, the

maxillary teeth A tooth (plural, : teeth) is a hard, calcification, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to Mastication, break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with ...

are usually anesthetized locally by inserting the needle beneath the

oral mucosa The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane lining the inside of the mouth. It comprises stratified squamous epithelium, termed "oral epithelium", and an underlying connective tissue termed '' lamina propria''. The oral cavity has sometimes been des ...

surrounding the teeth. The inferior alveolar nerve is probably anesthetized more often than any other nerve in the body. To anesthetize this nerve, the dentist inserts the needle somewhat beyond the patient's last molar.

References

{{Orthodontics Dentistry procedures Surgical specialties Dentistry