Dento-Alveolar Surgery
BONE ANCHORAGE PLATES
Bone anchorage plates and temporary anchorage devices (TAD’s) are titanium appliances which are inserted into the maxilla or mandible. Your Orthodontist uses them for intruding and extruding teeth, and to move teeth to open or close spaces when braces alone cannot manage this. The plates require surgical removal under general anaesthesia when the orthodontist has completed your treatment.
TEMPORARY ANCHORAGE DEVICES
Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs) are small titanium screws inserted into the maxilla, mandible or palate and are used for orthodontic purposes. They are used to aid in tooth movement when braces are not enough on their own to achieve the desired movement. They are removed when the orthodontist has completed treatment.
WISDOM TEETH
Wisdom teeth or third molar teeth usually start to erupt during the late teens or early twenties. There is often insufficient room for the teeth to functionally erupt. If there is not enough space for the wisdom teeth, they can develop in an impacted position and this can cause infection, tooth decay and dental crowding.
Impacted wisdom teeth require some minor surgery to be removed. Wisdom teeth are usually removed under a general anaesthetic as a day surgery procedure and you will be tender and swollen for 7-10 days. Day three is usually the worst for healing and then it will slowly improve.
TOOTH EXTRACTIONS
Your dentist or orthodontist may refer you to have teeth extracted. This may be because the teeth are difficult to remove or they are close to important structures such as nerves or the maxillary sinuses.
This procedure is usually a day surgery case done under either Intravenous Sedation or General Anaesthetic.
EXPOSURE AND BONDING
A minor surgical procedure to expose the tooth is carried out. This can be achieved using two approaches:
Open exposure: The tooth is exposed and a periodontal pack is sutured in place to maintain exposure.
Closed exposure: The tooth is exposed and a gold chain and bracket is placed onto the impacted tooth. Your orthodontist will use this to encourage eruption.
This procedure is a day surgery case done under General Anaesthesia.