How long will my oral surgery procedure last?

If you are anticipating some type of oral surgery procedure, you likely will have a number of questions about the process, including about how long the procedure will take. Your oral surgeon will review this aspect of your treatment, along with other pertinent details, at your initial consultation.

In addition to preparing for the procedure itself, it’s also important to get ready to take care of the surgical site afterward so that you can minimize your risk of complications.

Expectations for Oral Surgery Procedures

There are a number of reasons why you might need treatment from an oral surgeon. The following procedures require surgical interventions:

  • Wisdom teeth extraction
  • Placement of dental implants
  • Bone grafting in preparation to place dental implants or to correct congenital defects
  • Jaw surgery for TMD or to correct a malocclusion

The process begins with a consultation at which your oral surgeon will gather the data needed to plan the procedure by visually examining your smile, taking x-rays and other imaging and/or photographs.

During this visit, the surgeon will also give you an overview of what to expect on the day of your appointment. This will include directions on how to prepare for the surgery and how long it is expected to take. The different types of procedures have varying durations.

Post-Operative Considerations

In addition to helping you prepare for a surgical procedure, we also want to help you minimize your risk of post-operative complications by taking good care of the surgical site after you leave our office.

You will receive detailed instructions in writing before you leave our office, but in general it’s important to clean the surgical site as directed so that you can minimize the presence of oral bacteria that could cause an infection without disrupting the healing process.

You may also be instructed to refrain from engaging in certain activities, such as smoking or using drinking straws, and to eliminate certain foods from your diet for a certain portion of the healing period.

Each type of oral surgery is distinct, so it’s impossible to give an overarching statement about characteristics such as time of the procedure or what to expect as you heal. Please contact Central Oklahoma Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates with any questions you may have about specific details of your procedure.

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