Surgical procedures

Surgical extraction of incarcerated penitentiaries

One of the most common intraoral surgical procedures is the extraction of impacted third molars (wisdom teeth). The wisdom teeth or third molars are the last teeth in the back part of each jaw and very often do not erupt in the mouth, remaining impacted even during the entire life of the patient. They usually cause discomfort during their eruption in the mouth and there is often no sufficient space in the jaw for their full eruption. Furthermore, the cases where wisdom teeth cause the generation of cysts around their roots are not that rare, which affects the density of the jawbones or leads to the formation of an oedema or abscess. Finally, when the impacted wisdom teeth have an inclination angle compared to the other teeth of the jaw, they are implicated that they contribute to their movement or distortion. For all the above reasons, their surgical extraction is often, and depending in each individual case, recommended.

Wisdom tooth extraction surgery After taking a detailed medical and dental history of the patient, we proceed to the radiological examination by taking the panoramic radiograph or the cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) of the jaws, where this is deemed necessary (proximity to sensitive organs – anatomical structures, such as nerves, arteries or sinus). The patient is then fully informed about possible post-operative complications, such as a slight swelling and localized pain for 2-3 days, which are however covered by the administered medication. Once all the necessary measures for the surgery are taken, with local anesthesia and with the appropriate tools, the inclusions are removed, the wound is sutured and the necessary post-operative instructions are given. After 8-10 days the sutures are removed and usually after 20 days the patient can now chew normally on the extraction side. The duration of the operation is usually 30-40 minutes, while the simultaneous extraction of both upper and lower wisdom teeth is often recommended, in order to minimize the patient’s discomfort.

Procedure of surgical extraction of third molars (wisdom teeth)

After taking a detailed medical and dental history of the patient, we proceed to the radiographic examination by taking a panoramic X-ray or a cone beam computing tomography scan (CBCT) of the jaws, when this is deemed necessary (being close to sensitive organs – anatomical structures, such as nerves, arteries or sinuses). Subsequently the patient is fully informed about the possible postoperative complications, such as a mild oedema (swelling) and localized pain for 2-3 days, which, however, are covered by the administered medication. After all the necessary measures for the surgical procedure have been taken, with local anaesthesia and with the appropriate instruments, the impacted teeth are removed, the wound is sutured and the necessary postoperative instructions are given. After 8-10 days the sutures are removed and usually after 20 days the patient can normally chew on the side of the extraction. The duration of the surgery is usually 30-40 minutes, while the simultaneous extraction of the upper and lower wisdom teeth on the same side is often recommended, in order to achieve the less possible discomfort for the patient.

Initial state of upper lip bridle in an 18-year-old patient – The tension exerted on the upper lip and gums is visible

Final state – 1 week after surgery