Oral surgery

Surgery in dentistry is not only extraction. Some procedures do the opposite — they prepare the jaw so a tooth can be restored.

Extraction today is a last resort. A tooth is preserved as long as possible — root canals treated, an inlay or crown placed. It is removed when the tooth is destroyed below bone level, has a vertical crack, or has become a source of inflammation that cannot be stopped.

The second group of operations is reconstructive. After a tooth is lost, the bone in that spot begins to resorb and over time may become insufficient for an implant. Bone volume is then augmented: a sinus lift raises the floor of the maxillary sinus in the upper jaw, and guided bone regeneration rebuilds bone where it has resorbed. A connective tissue graft covers an exposed root and restores a normal gum contour.

When it is needed

A tooth is damaged beyond restoration

A wisdom tooth is misaligned, presses on its neighbour or becomes inflamed

An implant is planned but there is not enough bone volume

The gum has receded and exposed the tooth root

What this includes

Tooth extraction A planned extraction under local anaesthesia.

Wisdom tooth extraction A separate procedure: such teeth are often angled or unerupted.

Sinus lift (upper jaw) Augmenting bone in the posterior upper jaw before implant placement.

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) Restoring bone volume using graft material and a barrier membrane.

Subepithelial connective tissue graft (CTG) Grafting the patient’s own tissue to cover an exposed root.

Apical surgery (root-end resection) Removing the focus of inflammation at the root tip when the tooth must be preserved.

How the procedure goes

1 Diagnostics An X-ray is essential: the dentist checks root position, bone volume and the location of important structures.

2 Anaesthesia Procedures are done under local anaesthesia — the intervention is not felt.

3 The procedure The course depends on the goal: extraction, grafting material or transplanting tissue. The wound is sutured.

4 Healing The dentist gives instructions for the first days and schedules a check-up. Bone procedures need time to integrate before the next stage.

Common questions

Does an extraction hurt? During the extraction the anaesthetic works: you feel pressure, not pain. Discomfort and swelling are possible in the first days afterwards — the dentist explains in advance what to expect and what to do.

Do wisdom teeth always need removing? No. If it has erupted straight, does not disturb its neighbours and can be cleaned, it is left alone. It is removed when it is malpositioned, damages the adjacent tooth or becomes inflamed repeatedly.

Why augment bone? An implant is held in bone and needs sufficient volume. After an extraction the bone in the empty site gradually resorbs. If there is no longer enough, volume is restored first and the implant is placed later.

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The information on this page is general. A treatment plan, indications and contraindications are determined by a dentist at an in-person examination.