Why Should You Choose an Oral Surgeon Over a General Dentist for Dental Implants?

Dental implants in Toronto, ON, are the best tooth replacement option in the market. They are the closest you will ever come to having real teeth. Dental implants replace not only the tooth but also the root since they are inserted in the jawbone, which makes them stable. Besides stability, they offer permanence.

The only challenge with getting dental implants is that you have to undergo surgery. Now, this is the tricky part since the procedure might not be a walk in the park for most dentists, especially general dentists. Don’t get us wrong, general dentists can also carry out the procedure successfully, but there are times when your best bet is to go for an oral surgeon.

So, let’s peek into the scenarios when a general dentist can place dental implants and when you need to seek our oral surgeon.

When Can General Dentists Place a Dental Implant?

General dentists are well capable of placing a dental implant. In most scenarios, general dentists will place an implant much easier whenever everything seems great and no additional procedures are required. In other words, the patient has enough healthy jawbone and gums, the tooth hasn’t been missing for a long time, etc., so the general dentist can easily handle such cases.

However, some dentists haven’t been trained as oral surgeons but have additional experience. If this is the scenario, then the challenge you will face is to decipher their level of expertise.

So, When Are Oral Surgeons Essential for Dental Implants?

It is always wise to seek the services of an oral surgeon when placing dental implants requires additional procedures. It is usually common for patients to need bone grafts, ridge augmentation, or sinus lifts before getting a tooth implant. Our oral surgeon would perform all these, but not a general dentist because they are qualified to complete the procedure.

There are certain scenarios where you must seek the services of a dental surgeon and not a general dentist since the procedures could be challenging and require additional skills. These scenarios are:

• Trauma

If you lose a tooth because of trauma, then you will need our oral surgeon to place the implant. When a tooth is knocked out, it means that it was forcefully removed from the socket, meaning that there could be a possibility that the bone structure is damaged. The trauma can compromise or damage your mandibular joint or sinuses.

General dentists may not notice the damage to the bones. These bones must be treated as it needs to be fixed to ensure that the implants are securely in place.

• Bone Loss

If you have lost a tooth and there is severe bone loss, you should visit our oral surgeon for dental implant placement. So, our oral surgeon will confirm whether you have enough healthy bone to secure a dental implant. If there isn’t enough bone, our oral surgeon will have to bulk it using bone grafts.

Bone grafts are bones that our surgeon takes from another body part, a cadaver, or an artificial bone, and then places them where the bone needs to be built up.

Why Go For Oral Surgeons Instead of General Dentists?

The main reasons you should go for our oral surgeon instead of a general dentist when you need a dental implant near you are:

• Oral Surgeons Are Ready for Complications

General dentists can handle the implant surgery pretty well when the patient’s situation is ideal. But whenever a challenge or something goes wrong during the procedure, your best bet is to be in the hands of an oral surgeon. The reason is that oral surgeons can handle the challenge or complications since they have experience with various surgeries.

General dentists most likely deal with a handful of surgeries, meaning they will have limited experience dealing with oral surgeries.

• Oral Surgeons Specialize In Performing Surgeries

General dentists deal with almost every dental issue. However, oral surgeons have specialized in dealing with surgeries. Surgery is right in the middle of their ballpark since they have more training and experience with dental implants and other complex dental procedures.

• Oral Surgeons Offer More Anesthetic Options

Oral surgeons perform more surgeries than general dentists. Therefore, they use anesthesia more often and might give you better options that meet your needs and preferences.

The Takeaway

There’s nothing wrong with visiting a general dentist since they can determine whether dental implants near you are right for you or not. But if the procedure needs additional procedures, you should visit our oral surgeon. Contact us today at Toronto East Maxillofacial Surgery if you have any questions.