Wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to develop. More often, one or more of these wisdom teeth fail to erupt in proper alignment or fails to rupture through the gum line fully and becomes enclosed or “impacted” between the jawbone and the gum tissue. Other teeth can also be impacted so what an oral surgeon can do is to remove the impacted and damaged teeth.

Fractured jaws and broken facial bones can be repaired through oral surgery. So you do not need to worry about those broken noses, oral surgery can get it right.

Cleft lip and cleft palate occur when all or portions of the mouth and nasal cavity do not grow together properly during foetal development. The result is an opening in the roof of the mouth. This can, however, be corrected through oral surgery. Oral surgeons work as part of a team of healthcare specialists for a successful surgery and correction.

If the dentist suspects that a patient has a sleep disorder, the patient will likely be referred to a sleep clinic for polysomnography, an overnight clinic test that monitors his or her sleep patterns. The patient will then be referred to an oral surgeon if the cause of the sleep disorder is sleep apnea which needs immediate surgery. Surgical procedures involve removing the soft tissues of the oropharynx or the lower jaw.

This happens when the upper and lower jaws fail to grow properly, and it happens to some persons. This can cause difficulty when speaking, eating, swallowing and breathing. Some of these problems like improper teeth alignment can be corrected with braces and other orthodontic appliances. More serious issues require oral surgery to move all or part of the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both into a new position which is more balanced, functional and healthy.