Oral Surgery

The outpatient Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic at Penn Dental Medicine provides consultation, diagnosis, surgical treatment, and management of diseases and disorders of the face and jaws. The Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) is committed to excellence in patient care and the services offered in the clinic include:

• Consultations
• Management and removal of diseased, impacted teeth, and third molars (wisdom teeth)
• Office-based general anesthesia and sedation
• Alveoloplasty (The surgical shaping and smoothing of the margins of the tooth socket after extraction of the tooth, generally in preparation for the placement of a prosthesis.)
• Tori removal (Tori is a harmless growth of bone that can grow on the roof of the mouth, the inside of the lower jaw, and the cheek side of the upper molars.)
• Dental trauma
• Oral pathology lesions and biopsy
• Temporomandibular joint and pain control
• Dental implant surgery
• Bone grafting

Your oral surgery experience will depend upon how many extractions are needed and the overall complexity of your case. Some straightforward extractions can be achieved in one visit, while others take multiple appointments to complete.

Prior to your extraction, you will have a consultation with the oral surgeon to discuss your needs and the process that will be best for you.

At Penn Dental Medicine, all of our services are provided by predoctoral students or postdoctoral residents. All treatment is overseen by our Board-certified and Board-eligible faculty every step of the way, ensuring the highest quality service for our patients.

During oral surgery, we utilize various methods for pain relief, including local anesthesia, nitrous oxide sedation, IV sedation, or general anesthesia for the comfort of our patients.

Your doctor will give you specific post-operative instructions to follow during your recovery from oral surgery. It is typical to experience some pain and swelling after the procedure; icing and using pain medication as directed will provide relief. Common care instructions immediately after the procedure include:

• Bite a gauze pad for 30-45 minutes after the appointment
• Do not rinse vigorously, suck on straws, smoke, drink alcohol, or brush teeth near the extraction for 72 hours
• Limit vigorous exercise for 24 hours after your procedure
• Call the office if you experience heavy bleeding or severe pain
• A few days after your procedure, you should feel fine and can resume your typical activities.

The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons has created an easy-to-use web page with additional information at www.myOMS.org