Dental surgery is any of a number of medical procedures that involve
artificially modifying dentition, in other words surgery of the teeth
and jaw bones.
Some of the more common are:
Endodontic (surgery involving the pulp or root of the tooth)
- Root canal
- Pulpotomy 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 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 gingiva and surgically
extracting the diseased material.
Prosthodontics (dental prosthetics)Crowns (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 restorationsVeneers — 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 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 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 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 generalanesthesia and is very
common — many people have their wisdom teeth removed before they become
problematic.
- Fiberotomy — a procedure to sever the fibers around a tooth, preventing it from relapsing