Oral surgeons in Charlotte NC: What to expect

Oral surgeons are an unknown commodity to most dentistry patients, so when their general dentist recommends an oral surgeon for a specific procedure, it comes as a surprise which brings fears and reservations.  However, there is nothing better at wiping away patient fears than a little bit of education, and that is why the expert staff at Southpark Oral Surgery in Charlotte NC do everything they can to keep patients informed from the moment they walk through the door.  Of course, it always helps to have a little bit of background information before you experience something new as well, so here are a few things about oral surgeons that may interest you.

Maxillofacial surgeon.  What?

An oral surgeon is just as it sounds, a surgeon who specializes in everything that has to do with the oral cavity.  Oral surgeons are also called maxillofacial surgeons. They routinely perform a wide variety of surgical procedures related to the head, jaw, and even the neck.  In that sense, oral surgery is not just about teeth, gums and the jaw but also includes such treatments as sleep apnea procedures and facial trauma surgery.

Sleep apnea procedures by a maxillofacial surgeon

Many oral surgeons perform surgery to help patients who suffer from sleep apnea, a condition that affects your airways and your ability to breathe while sleeping.  In many cases, an oral surgeon or maxillofacial surgeon can do wonders for sleep apnea patients, though treatment will likely begin with non-surgical techniques designed to help avoid surgery altogether.  For example, at Southpark Oral Surgery in Charlotte NC, oral surgeon Dr. Kevin Bond may recommend that patients utilize a CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, machine, which assists in keeping a positive airflow to assist breathing in a slumbering patient. 

As far as sleep apnea surgical options go, your maxillofacial surgeon will need to perform a thorough examination and ex-rays before recommending the best of many different kinds of procedures that may help correct the problem.  One type of surgery is called uvulo-palato-pharyngo-plasty (UPPP), which is indeed a mouthful in its own right.  In this procedure, your oral surgeon makes surgical changes to your soft palate at the back of your throat.  This serves to free up your air passages at night so you can sleep better.

Facial trauma surgery

Maxillofacial surgeons also assist patients who have suffered from injuries to the bones of the face and skull, injuries to the teeth, and injuries to the soft tissues of the face sustained in a car accident or some other kind of trauma.  To treat jaw or other facial fractures, an oral surgeon may wire the teeth together, for example.  An oral surgeon can also tend to broken or misplaced teeth, for example, by splinting them or wiring them back into place so that proper healing may take place.  Finally, lacerations and other soft tissue wounds can be sutured and tended different ways by an oral surgeon. 

Visit an oral surgeon right here in Charlotte, NC

Dr. Kevin Bond from Southpark Oral Surgery is a highly trained oral surgeon experienced in diagnosing and treating all manner of oral, facial, head, neck, and jaw conditions.  If you live in Charlotte NC or south Charlotte, you can make an appointment to visit Dr. Kevin Bond and his expert staff right now by visiting Southpark Oral Surgery.