Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a specialized department that diagnoses diseases of the teeth, jaw structures and surrounding tissues, and performs the necessary medical and surgical treatments.

What treatments are performed in this department?

Treatments performed in our clinic include the extraction and eruption management of impacted and erupted teeth; treatment of infections in the oral, jaw and facial regions; jaw fractures; biopsy and surgical treatment of cystic or tumoral formations that develop in the soft and hard tissues of the mouth; implant surgery; advanced bone augmentations; sinus floor elevation operations; apical resection; and pre-prosthetic surgical procedures.

Should every wisdom tooth be extracted?

Wisdom teeth are usually the last teeth to erupt in the mouth, typically in the twenties. Since they erupt after jaw development is complete, they may not find enough space in the jaws and may remain partially or fully impacted. Wisdom teeth that cannot erupt in the correct position, may disrupt tooth alignment, damage surrounding tissues, cause cavities or gum inflammation, or lead to pain, abscesses or cysts should be extracted. However, wisdom teeth that have taken their place in the dental arch and do not cause any problems may remain functional in the mouth.

Why do jaw cysts occur, and do they need to be removed?

Cysts are fluid-filled cavities that may form inside the lower or upper jawbones or in soft tissue. They may be of dental or developmental origin. They grow by expanding in the area where they are located and may cause swelling, pain, loosening of nearby teeth or tooth displacement. Cysts are diagnosed through radiological, clinical and histopathological examinations.

Cysts require surgical treatment because untreated cysts may grow over time and damage surrounding tissues. Cysts that are not treated may reach large sizes and cause problems such as infection, pain, jawbone resorption or fracture, and numbness due to pressure on nerves.

What is apical resection, and when is it necessary?

Apical resection is a surgical procedure in which a cyst or infection at the tip of a tooth root is removed together with the lower one-third of the root tip. It is performed to prevent tooth loss and keep the tooth in the mouth.

Apical resection may be performed in cases of small cysts at the root tip, root-tip infections that do not heal with root canal treatment, broken canal instruments at the root tip, overfilled root canal treatments, and root-tip fractures caused by trauma.

Will I feel pain during the surgical procedure?

Since surgical procedures are performed under local anesthesia, no pain is felt during tooth extraction, implant placement or any other surgical procedure. However, depending on the patient’s request or certain medical requirements, surgical procedures can also be comfortably performed under sedation or general anesthesia at our faculty.