Types of dental surgery

Dental surgery is a branch of dentistry and has to do with many surgical procedures to correct badly damaged teeth. Dental surgery will help to regain a person’s original shape of teeth but also improves the person’s smile and facial appearance. There are various types of dental surgery from root canals to teeth whitening amongst others which would be discussed in this article.

• Root Canal
  Root canal, also known as an endodontic treatment, is when the diseased or damaged pulp (blood vessels and nerves in the centre of the tooth) is removed and the inside areas (pulp chamber and root canals) are filled and sealed. The main aim of a root canal is to prevent tooth extraction as far as possible. If you don’t receive treatment you can experience terrible tooth ache due to the infected pulp. After surgery your tooth will be sore for a couple of days but can easily be treated with painkillers.
   
• Teeth Whitening
  Tooth whitening is a dental surgery concerned with removing stains and discoloration from teeth. Tooth whitening is one of the most popular dental surgeries as it improves the appearance of your teeth at much less cost than other techniques. There are two types of teeth whitening: Non-vital and vital whitening. Non-vital whitening is when a tooth no longer has a live nerve due to earlier done root canal treatment. A whitening agent is placed inside the tooth and a temporary filling is done. Vital whitening is when the tooth still has a live nerve. The technique involves putting a gel like whitening solution in a tray to form something similar to a night guard or mouth guard which is placed over the teeth for a certain period of time.

• Tooth extraction
  Tooth extraction has to with removing teeth from its socket in the bone. If your tooth has been damaged by decay or is fractured beyond repair you will undergo tooth extraction surgery.

• Jaw alignment
  If your upper and lower jaw aren’t aligned properly according to age and causes problems associated with breathing, speaking, chewing, swallowing, then you could be a candidate for jaw alignment. Although in some cases this can be solved with braces, the more severe cases require dental surgery. Surgery involves placing your bones in the correct position after which the bones will grow together naturally in a couple of months.

• Dental implants
  These are artificial teeth that are attached to the bone. It is used as a substitute for lost teeth or used as an anchor for fixed bridges which would replace several missing teeth. This is done by placing a titanium screw or cylinder in the upper as well as the lower jaw bone.

• Porcelain veneers
  If you require teeth whitening surgery in Johannesburg, an oral hygienist or dentist in Johannesburg contact Dr Cerny

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