If you need a minor oral surgery procedure such as a wisdom tooth extraction, you may be tempted to go to your regular dentist. But you could be selling yourself short by not switching to a specialist who offers more options. That’s because you may not realize there are myriad benefits to choosing a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon to perform even seemingly minor procedures like tooth extractions.
Here’s what you should know about oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and why choosing an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for your medical procedure may be right for you.
What Is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon?
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon cares for the bones and soft tissues of the face and jaw. This includes everything from the jaw and cheekbones to the teeth, lips, cheeks, gums, and many other parts of the face, head, and neck.
While oral and maxillofacial surgeons attend the same four years of dental school as your regular dentist, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon also receives additional years of medical school and four years of additional medical residency that your regular dentist and other dental specialists do not need to do, giving them more specific, advanced knowledge when it comes to performing procedures on the head, face, and neck.
What Are the Benefits of Using an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon?
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon can do more than just extract teeth. These specialists can reconstruct the bones of the face and even perform some plastic surgery procedures. After all, who knows the face better than someone whose training focused solely on the face itself?
Another little-known benefit to using an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is this: Besides anesthesiologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the only doctors certified to administer their own anesthesia. This allows for a better overall experience for the patient because it increases their sedation options, usually without requiring the use of a surgical center or requiring additional specialists to be present at their procedure.
To learn more about the benefits of switching your procedure to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, contact the office of Dr. Randy Sanovich at (972) 914-3660