Oral Surgery Waterdown

At Panacea Dental, oral surgery means the minor surgical procedures a general practice carries out in the office under local anaesthetic: tooth extractions, including many wisdom teeth, and related procedures such as preparing a site for a dental implant. Some cases need a surgeon, and when they do we refer you rather than stretch what a general practice should do.

The first step is to book a consultation to determine if oral surgery is the right solution for your case; call Panacea Dental in Waterdown at 289-408-5100.

Related Treatments

Not sure which treatment you need? Book a consultation or call 289-408-5100.

Tooth Extraction in Waterdown

Removing a tooth is always the second choice. If a tooth can be kept with a filling, a root canal or a crown, that is usually better for the teeth around it. Our article on saving a tooth or extracting it explains how that decision is made. Extraction becomes the right answer when a tooth is too broken down to restore, badly infected, loose from advanced gum disease, or crowding the teeth around it.

A simple extraction removes a tooth that is fully visible, loosening it and lifting it out. A surgical extraction is needed when a tooth has broken at the gum line or has not fully come through, and may involve a small incision or dividing the tooth into sections. Both are done under local anaesthetic, so you feel pressure but not pain. Details of the procedure are on our tooth extractions page.

Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are removed when they cause repeated infection of the gum over them, decay that cannot be reached, damage to the tooth in front, or cysts. Teeth that are healthy and cleanable can often be left and watched. Many wisdom teeth can be removed in the office. Deeply impacted teeth, especially close to the nerve in the lower jaw, may be better treated by an oral surgeon. More on our wisdom tooth extraction page.

When We Refer to an Oral Surgeon

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a dental specialty in Ontario. Corrective jaw surgery, treatment of facial fractures, biopsy and management of suspicious lesions, and the most complex impacted teeth belong with a specialist surgeon, and we refer when a case needs one. We will explain why, send your records and radiographs, and look after your ordinary dental care before and afterwards.

Comfort and Sedation

Most procedures need nothing more than local anaesthetic. If you are anxious about treatment, tell us when you book. Options are explained on our dental sedation page and in our article on dental anxiety.

Recovery After an Extraction

First 24 hours. Bite on gauze to control bleeding, rest, and avoid rinsing, spitting, smoking and drinking through a straw. These can dislodge the blood clot.
Swelling and soreness. Normal for two or three days. Cold packs on the cheek and the pain relief we recommend usually manage it.
Eating. Soft, cool foods at first, chewing on the other side.
Call us if pain gets worse after day three, which can mean a dry socket, or if bleeding will not stop, swelling keeps increasing, or you develop a fever.

Cost and Coverage

Extractions are covered by most dental plans and are included in the Canadian Dental Care Plan. We will tell you the cost before treatment and bill your insurer directly where we can.

Oral Surgery Questions

Yes, many wisdom teeth can be removed in the office under local anaesthetic. Deeply impacted teeth close to the nerve may be referred to an oral surgeon.

The area is numbed first, so you feel pressure rather than pain. Soreness for two or three days afterwards is normal and is usually managed with over the counter pain relief.

It happens when the blood clot in the socket is lost, exposing the bone. Pain that gets worse around day three is the usual sign. Call us, because it is easily treated.

For corrective jaw surgery, facial fractures, biopsies of suspicious lesions and the most complex impacted teeth. We will explain why and send your records.

Yes, extractions are part of the Canadian Dental Care Plan's covered services, subject to your co-payment level.