How Much Time Does Oral Surgery Require?
It is quite normal for people to require oral surgery in Stockton, CA, for one reason or another, such as undergoing a tooth extraction or receiving dental implants. Just the thought of undergoing oral surgery seems scary to most people. But the procedure might go much better than you imagined because dentistry isn’t what it used to be decades ago.
Proper planning will ensure that your surgery at our dental clinic in Stockton goes smoothly. However, you must have some pressing questions concerning oral surgery, such as” How long will it take?” “Is it painful?”
You are lucky since we are going to get the answers to some of the above questions below, so continue reading.
How Long Will It Take?
The question seems simple, but the answer is not quite. Several factors determine the length of the oral surgery, the major one being the type of procedure you are having. Another issue that might be the length of the procedure is the complexity of the procedure and whether or not any complications arise.
- Tooth Extraction
Simple tooth extraction is not a complicated procedure. If there are no issues, a single extraction can be done in under 40 minutes. You can expect preoperative duties, numbing the tooth, extracting the tooth, and post-operative duties to be performed within 40 minutes.
But, the procedure can take as little as 15 minutes to complete. If you need multiple extractions, you can add an extra 3-15 minutes to the process.
- Wisdom Teeth Removal
On the other hand, wisdom teeth removal is a bit more complex. The main reason is that most wisdom teeth are extracted since they are impacted. In other words, they are stuck under the gums or have grown at angles hurting the other teeth.
The biggest factors that determine the length of wisdom tooth extraction are whether or not the teeth have partially erupted and how many are being removed. Plus, the location of these teeth makes the procedure a bit complex; hence, you can expect the procedure to take much longer.
On average, wisdom tooth removal will take between 45 and 90 minutes.
- Arthroscopic TMJ Surgery
You may need to undergo arthroscopic surgery to deal with the temporomandibular joint disorder. The procedure is the least invasive, especially when dealing with moderate to severe TMD. The procedure includes making tiny incisions on either side of the jaw that can be completed within 30 minutes.
- Bone Grafts
At times, the bone density may be insufficient or decrease. Since the jawbone will not regenerate by itself, there’s the need to perform bone grafting. The bone grafting procedure usually takes about 45 – 90 minutes to complete.
- Dental Implants
Dental implants are used when you wish to replace the entire tooth, including the root. Therefore, the implant has to be surgically placed in the jawbone. Doing this will take about one or two hours to place one dental implant. So, if you need several implants, it might take more than three hours.
Is Oral Surgery Painful?
Another cause of concern is pain. Most people always wonder if they will experience pain during oral surgery. The short answer is no. Oral surgery in Stockton, CA, cannot commence without administering local anesthesia. Our dentist will ascertain that the area is numb before proceeding with any procedure.
Therefore, you can expect that the procedure will be pain-free. You can expect to experience pressure while our dentist is working.
Oral Hygiene After Surgery
Oral hygiene after surgery may not go as you expect. This is because there are specific instructions that you need to follow to ensure that your mouth heals and no complications arise. Therefore, some of the things you need to do after your oral surgery include:
- Gently swish warm water in your mouth about six times a day to help clear the debris in your mouth
- If you are still bleeding after surgery, replace gauze after every few hours
- No brushing at the surgical site and no rigorous brushing
- Don’t use antimicrobial mouthwashes until you have received instructions from our dentist to do so
- If our dentist prescribes antibiotics, take them as prescribed
There are more recovery tips that our dentist will give you after visiting our dental office in Stockton, CA. Contact us at Valley View Dental Stockton to get more information.