Maxillofacial Surgery Procedures

Maxillofacial surgery procedures are performed by a licensed surgeon, and many of them are outpatient procedures performed at the surgeon's office. Maxillofacial surgeries can involve anything from a simple wisdom tooth extraction to a more complex facial bone graft.

Wisdom Teeth

• An adult human typically has 32 teeth. These teeth often have problems that require readjustment or removal during the course of the person's life. Wisdom teeth removal occurs when the wisdom teeth become impacted and begin to encroach on the surrounding teeth. Left alone, impacted wisdom teeth can cause tooth decay and extreme pain. In the extreme, the decay of the teeth can begin to wear away bits of the jawbone, as well, altering the shape of the jawline.

Dental Implants

• Dental implants are provided for people who either aren't happy with their existing teeth, or who have cosmetic deformities requiring replacement of the teeth. The teeth both look and act like regular teeth, and the patient is able to eat as normal. Metal posts are inserted into the jawbone, and the teeth are placed onto these posts. Implants allow even a severely damaged jawline to retain its shape and provide a solid base on which to continue cosmetic repairs to the underlying facial structure. Single implants are available in the form of crowns, while full sets are available. For full sets, the process generally takes at least six months to complete, as bone grafts are often necessary to ensure that the new implants anchor properly.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

• Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, or TMJ, is a condition where the joint that makes up the human jaw doesn't work correctly. TMJ can cause extreme pain, and in severe cases the jaw can lock either open or closed, making speaking, eating, and drinking difficult until the problem resolves itself. Clenching or grinding teeth, as well as trauma to the jaw can cause TMJ, and often the jaw can slip out of position, resulting in a bite that is off-center.

Bone Grafts

• The longer a section of jawbone goes without its attached teeth, the more significant the bone loss in that section of the mouth. Often, this means that any dental implant surgery must be put off in order to set bone grafts in place. Bone grafting repairs the site of bone loss, and is typically taken from the patient's own body in order to minimize chances of rejection. Bone is harvested typically from the bones of the leg or hip, and is inserted into the gap in the jawbone. The bone begins to grow, eventually filling the gap.

Cleft Lip/Cleft Palate

• Cleft lip or cleft palate often occur during the early stages of pregnancy. During pregnancy, the soft palate grows into place as a single unit. If the sections don't fuse completely, it's called a cleft lip or palate. These can be corrected by closing the gap that forms either in the lip or the palate itself. For cleft palate, bone is removed from another part of the body and grafted into place in the palate, closing the hole. Anyone having the surgery will see a positive effect almost immediately, and in most cases a single graft is enough to correct the problem.