Oral Surgery

The Difference Between your Dentist and Oral Surgeon

General dentists have studied dentistry along with hands-on training, and some can perform minor oral surgical needs… An oral surgeon can help with issues ranging from wisdom teeth and impacted teeth to jaw misalignment and bone loss Oral and maxillofacial surgery is considered a dental specialty, but the type of work required is usually much more complex than what a general dentist does.

An oral surgeon is a dental specialist that’s trained to perform surgical procedures on the mouth, teeth, jaws, and face. While dentists can perform minor oral surgeries, they’re not oral surgeons or oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMS), which is the full name of these specialists. The word maxillofacial means relating to the jaws and face.

An OMS attends four years of dental school and then completes at least four to six additional years of surgical training. These specialists are also trained to administer anesthesia and provide care in an office setting.

Maxillofacial surgeons are really a combination of a dentist and a medical doctor.

The last teeth to erupt in your mouth are called Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars. This generally occurs between the ages of 17 and 25, a time of life that has been called the “Age of Wisdom.”

When there is a lack of space in the dental arch and its growth and eruption are prevented by overlying gum, bone or another tooth, wisdom teeth become impacted.