What Is an Oral Surgeon?
An oral surgeon is different than a general dentist. While both attend dental school, oral surgeons go beyond this basic education by undergoing a hospital-based, surgical residency. Typically, this period is an additional four or more years on top of dental school, ensuring the doctor is extremely well-versed in all aspects of oral and maxillofacial surgery.
During their time in residency, oral surgeons complete rotations in a number of different specialties and subspecialties. Most notably, they are required to partake in intensive anesthesia training in order to become highly trained in office based anesthesia. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are experts in:
- The surgical placement of dental implants to replace missing teeth.
- Bone and soft tissue grafting
- Facial trauma, including dentoalveolar trauma
- Wisdom teeth removal
- Jaw surgery—which is the surgical correction of overbites, underbites, and open bites.
Overall, oral and maxillofacial surgeons are only one of two surgical specialists recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA); therefore, patients who choose either one for their surgical needs can rest assured they’re receiving the best care as certified by this governing organization.
Our Oral Surgeons
Oklahoma Dental Surgery and Implant Center is helmed by our experienced, knowledgeable, and caring Oral Surgeons, Drs. Seth R. Brooks, David Miller, Jeremy Edwards, and Paul Wood. They have assisted patients with getting both the functional and aesthetic oral improvements they desire. Patients can rest assured they’re in good hands when they visit our doctors.
Why Choose an Experienced Oral Surgeon?
So, why should patients choose an experienced oral surgeon over a dentist or periodontist? While these professionals are certainly experts in the field of dentistry, they simply do not have the training, skills, or experience necessary to provide high-quality oral surgery services.
Oral surgeons, on the other hand, specialize in surgical procedures. They only work on cases where patients require surgical intervention. Because of this, they know exactly what they are doing in all scenarios. They’ve had the practice of seeing patients with a wide variety of conditions.
Experienced Oral Surgeons Have Higher Success Rates
With all the extra training an oral surgeon receives before being able to practice, it should come as no surprise that oral surgeons have higher success rates at surgical procedures than general dentists. In a study that examined a total of 920 implant procedures, 64 ended up failing when not accounting for excessive bone loss (the number rose to 172 when bone loss was included). Placement by an oral surgeon was not associated with risk of failure, but when the implant was placed by a general dentist, the rate of failure increased, with an odds ratio of 1:19.
Oral Surgeons Are Ready for Complications
Complications from oral surgery are rare, but can happen. Not every dental professional is trained to treat complications like an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. An experienced oral surgeon, on the other hand, will constantly monitor their patients’ recovery to ensure there is no risk of complications or side effects.
Schedule an Appointment With An Oral Surgeon Today
Our surgeons are accepting new patients with Oral Surgery needs. Whether a patient requires impacted Wisdom Teeth Removal or Dental Implants to improve their ability to eat and speak, Dr. Seth Brooks can help.
With their combined expertise in the field of Oral Surgery, they will be able to provide you with the highest level of care. Schedule your first consultation at our Norman, Edmond or Lawton office today.
