Oral and maxillofacial surgeon

General dentists carry out extractions routinely, including some surgical ones. Referral tends to be considered where a tooth is deeply impacted, where roots lie close to a nerve or the sinus, where the patient has medical complexity, or where sedation or general anesthesia is needed. Oral surgeons also work in hospital settings for trauma, pathology and jaw surgery. The question is the complexity of your case instead of the title of the clinician.

Not necessarily: many wisdom teeth are removed under local anesthetic, with sedation available for anxiety or complexity. General anesthesia is used for extensive surgery, very anxious patients, or where several impacted teeth are being removed together. It is a genuine choice with trade-offs in cost, recovery, escort requirements and which insurance applies, so it should be discussed, not assumed.

It can be either. Sometimes both are involved. Surgical removal of impacted teeth is often assessed as oral surgery under dental benefits, but some plans process it under a medical policy, particularly where general anesthesia or hospital care is used. Trauma and pathology are more likely to be medical. Because two policies may be relevant, ask which will be billed and obtain a pretreatment estimate before proceeding.

For lower procedures near the nerve canal, altered sensation of the lip, chin or tongue is a recognized risk, usually temporary, occasionally lasting. The risk depends on how close the roots lie to the nerve, which is why radiographs and sometimes CBCT are used beforehand and why coronectomy exists as an option in selected high-risk cases. This should be discussed explicitly during consent for lower procedures instead of mentioned in passing.

It is surgery to reposition the jaws where a skeletal discrepancy is too great to correct with orthodontics alone: for example a significant underbite or open bite arising from jaw position instead of tooth position. It is planned jointly by an oral surgeon and an orthodontist, usually with orthodontic treatment before and after, and it is carried out in hospital. It is a substantial undertaking reserved for functional problems, not appearance alone.

Initial healing, bleeding control and clot formation, occurs over the first day or two, with soft-tissue healing continuing over one to two weeks and bone healing over a longer period. Surgical complexity, impaction depth, your age and general health all affect the specific timeline. Follow the practice's written instructions for your case instead of a generic estimate.

Yes, if any sedation beyond local anesthetic is used. You will not be safe to drive. Many practices will not proceed without a confirmed escort arranged in advance. Even with local anesthetic alone, arranging a ride is sensible for surgery involving swelling, bleeding risk or strong prescribed pain medication.

It is a recognized complication, more common after lower molar extractions, in smokers, and where post-operative instructions around rinsing, spitting and using a straw are not followed. It presents as pain that worsens instead of improves in the days following extraction, and it is treated by the practice, not something to manage alone at home.

Yes: biopsy and management of jaw cysts and tumors sits within oral and maxillofacial surgery's scope, and a lesion identified incidentally on a radiograph is exactly the kind of finding that prompts this type of referral. Diagnosis usually requires biopsy, and the treatment plan depends on what that reveals.

No: a coronectomy deliberately leaves the root in place while removing only the crown of the tooth, used in selected high-risk cases where removing the whole tooth would risk nerve damage. It is a specific technique for specific anatomy, not a routine alternative to standard extraction, and it carries its own follow-up considerations.

The practice should tell you in advance how and when you will receive results, and this is worth confirming before the procedure instead of assuming. Most biopsy results are benign, and a clear plan for how you will be informed either way, by phone, in person, or through a follow-up appointment, reduces unnecessary anxiety while waiting.

Not always: many oral surgery practices accept direct patient contact, particularly for straightforward wisdom tooth concerns, though a referral with existing radiographs and history from a general dentist streamlines the initial assessment. Ask the specific practice about their intake process if you are considering contacting one directly.