Oral Surgeons Are Much More Than Advanced Dentists

Posted byPaola Nadeau on Sep 2020 in Dental | 0 comments

In December 2011, a young model and blogger named Lauren Scruggs got off a small plane in Texas and accidentally walked into its moving propeller. The horrific trauma resulted in brain damage, as well as the loss of her left hand and eye. But in pictures taken just weeks after the accident, the young woman was photographed looking remarkably whole. Her extraordinary recovery was due in part, no doubt, to the talents of a skilled oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) based in Dallas.

An oral surgeon is often thought of as a highly specialized dentist, but that’s a far from adequate characterization of this skilled profession, which typically requires anywhere from 8 to 15 years of postgraduate study. Oral surgeons do perform many procedures related to dental problems, including extractions, implants, and jaw realignment. But they also perform reconstructions for victims of facial trauma like Lauren Scruggs. Whereas once these kinds of injuries might have proved fatal, advances in facial reconstruction have made remarkable recoveries like Lauren’s much more common.

Technology has played a significant role in the development of facial surgery, as OMS specialists are now able to plan their procedures in a level of detail that was never before possible through the use of 3-D imaging. Bone and skin grafts allow surgeons to rebuild the structure of the face and minimize scarring from cuts and lacerations. Oral surgeons have a particular role in repairing damage caused by injury to the upper and lower jaw; 3-D imaging has proved enormously beneficial in this area, as well. In the past, jaw fractures and other injuries could only be treated by affixing rigid plates to the skull or by wiring the jaw in place, but Dallas specialists performing jaw reconstruction now have a variety of possible approaches at their disposal. In dental surgery, the use of lasers has advanced the procedure considerably. In the latest development in dental techniques, sound waves replace scalpels, reducing the patient’s pain and recovery time to almost nothing.

Patients who are seeking the services of an OMS may see the designation “board certified.” Although oral surgeons are qualified to practice after completing the required program of study, a few specialists are recognized for professional excellence by receiving a diplomate from the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – a board certification.

“A dentist who performs surgery” is a description that doesn’t begin to describe the high level of skill and expertise of the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. As Lauren Scruggs continues to recover in Dallas from what could easily have been a deadly injury, no doubt she’d be the first to agree.

Oral Surgeon Dallas – To find a reputable oral surgeon in Dallas,contact EverSmile and learn more about their team of accomplished dental professionals. EverSmile doctors specialize in building and restoring strong, healthy smiles.