Oral Surgery And Surgeons – How To Choose The Right One

So, your dentist tells you that need the services of an oral surgeon. What do you do? How do you choose?

Prevent Dental Suite knows that it can be a stressful process to find an oral surgeon, and we’d like to make it simpler for you.

To help you choose the right oral surgeon for you, we’d like to mention some basic things that you can do or that you should consider when you’re trying to find an oral surgeon in your area.

Why Picking the Right Oral Surgeon Is So Important

Dental concerns can go far beyond issues of hygiene and aesthetics, and in these cases oral surgeons are the dental specialists with the answers and treatments.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a complex specialty combining dental, medical and surgical expertise. The qualification recognised in Australia as the registrable qualification for practice is the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (FRACDS (OMS)).

The program takes at least four years to complete and requires the following:

A Dental degree and full registration as a dentist in Australia
A Medical degree and full registration as a medical practitioner in Australia
A full year of surgery in general (SIG) whilst occupying a post in a hospital that is approved for surgical training by the Trainee Advisory Committee

What do Oral Surgeons Treat?

Impacted Wisdom Teeth. These third molars, or “wisdom teeth”, are the last teeth to develop and come through the jaw. While these teeth may erupt without issues, they frequently don’t fully erupt or become misaligned. This causes them to become impacted, which can affect neighboring teeth, cause pain, lead to infections, and more.

Dental Implants. To replace a missing tooth, oral surgeons implant a metal post into the jawbone, which will fuse with the gum tissue and bone over time. This creates a strong foundation on which to place a realistic-looking artificial tooth.

Biopsies. If you have suspicious lesions in your mouth, oral surgeons perform a biopsy to check for oral cancer.

Jaw Surgery. If your jaws are misaligned it can lead to problems in appearance and function. Surgery is often necessary to correct this problem and restore function.

Sleep Apnea. If other conservative treatments don’t help serious sleep apnea sufferers, then we can remove excess tissue from the back of the throat to significantly reduce symptoms.

Reconstructive surgery. These procedures replace missing or damaged teeth, treat jawbone and gum damage, and correct jaw joint issues.

How to Choose Your Oral Surgeon

There are several things to look for in choosing an oral surgeon:

What are the surgeon’s credentials?
Be sure to check an oral surgeon’s medical license, certifications and professional society memberships.
What is the surgeon’s experience?
Ask about the surgeon’s medical education and training specific to the surgery or procedure that you are considering. How often does the doctor perform them and how many procedures of this kind has the doctor done?
Before-and-after photographs can give you some indication of a surgeon’s ability, although you must realize that they cannot guarantee the result you will achieve.
Each patient is different and the surgeon can help determine what kind of results you should expect.
Look at your options. Don’t be afraid to consult with more than one cosmetic surgeon to discuss your desired outcome. There may be more than one technique available with varying risks, benefits, recovery time and results.
Make sure you are comfortable with the personal rapport between you and your surgeon. In addition, you should feel at ease with the staff, as much of your communication will be with them. You should always feel that your concerns are being addressed. Do not be satisfied with incomplete answers.
What “red-flags” should I look for?
- A doctor who rushes you to make a decision on your surgery and/or an office that is unsterile or unfriendly.
- A doctor who recommends combining several major surgeries into one operation. This can increase risks.
- A doctor that refuses to answer questions or provide you with requested information.
Use the Internet to your advantage. If you are good at assessing social media, look for reviews, testimonials, awards and honors. Social media can be untrustworthy, but it can also provide valuable reviews, analyses, and reactions.

High-quality Dental Care at Prevent Dental Suite in Kallangur

Prevent Dental Suite is comprised of dedicated dental professionals who provide gentle and patient-oriented care to offer the best-quality dental service from the moment patients come into our office.

We offer dental services to Kallangur, Warner, Murrumba Downs, North Lakes, Petrie, Strathpine, Griffin, Mango Hill, Lawton and all surrounding areas in Brisbane Northside.