Specialist Dental Services

Oral Surgeon

Oral surgery is surgery of the mouth, face and jaw. It's performed when you need more complex dental treatment.

Oral surgeons are highly-trained specialists. They have expertise in surgery of the mouth, face and jaw, including the removal of teeth. When you need surgery or complex dental treatment performed, you will visit an oral surgeon. They will recommend the best treatment plan to suit your needs. They will make sure you feel comfortable before, during and after your oral surgery.

You’re in the best care. Oral surgeons have a minimum of five years of additional specialist training to become an oral surgeon. They're experts in surgery of the face, mouth and jaw. They also have specialist training in sedation techniques and working under general anaesthetic, to help you feel as comfortable as possible during surgery.

Education

Oral surgery has been around for hundreds of years. Modern technology, over the years, has made oral surgery faster, more advanced and more comfortable for patients.

We have four specialised oral surgery practices across New Zealand to help with your oral surgery needs. Our surgeons based in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. They're experts in the field. They will make you feel completely at ease about getting oral surgery.

Some of the common procedures that oral surgeons perform are:

190823 Lumino 0034

Need to know

Appointments

  • At least 2 appointments
  • The first consultation visit is where your oral surgeon will go over your surgery, including the cost
  • The next visit will be for the surgery
  • Further appointments may be needed if you have any problems after the surgery

How long it takes

  • The consultation will usually take around 30 to 45 minutes.
  • Treatment visits will usually be at least 1 to 2 hours, however they will vary depending on the scale of the treatment

You may be asked about

  • Your dental history and medical history
  • Your oral health care routine at home

Before your appointment

For the consultation you will not need any special preparation, but you should have knowledge to hand about your dental and medical history.

Before surgery with intravenous or IV sedation you should:

  • Take pre-operative medication at the time prescribed
  • Have someone accompany you and drive you to your appointment
  • Follow the pre-sedation fasting protocol given to you by your dentist
  • Wear something warm and comfortable with loose sleeves

Before having general anaesthetic at the hospital you should:

  • Arrange transportation to and from the hospital
  • Be at the hospital at the time allocated to you
  • Follow the pre-anaesthesia protocol given to you

After your appointment

If you have had any wisdom teeth extraction procedure done:

  • Use ice packs as much as possible to prevent swelling during the first 48 hours
  • Don't rinse your mouth out on the day of the surgery as it will cause bleeding
  • Don't smoke for as long as possible after surgery
  • Be careful with hot food and drinks
  • Eat a soft food diet
  • On the day after the removal, rinse three times a day after meals with warm, salty water
  • Use Savacol mouthwash from the following day, morning and night

If you have had surgery under sedation or general anaesthetic, you must:

  • Be accompanied home
  • Rest for around 2 to 4 hours following surgery
  • Not drive or operate machinery until the following day

Quick tip

It’s normal to experience some swelling and discomfort following oral surgery. We usually recommend taking a couple of days off work to rest. It’s also normal to experience some bleeding or slight oozing from the wounds. Your oral surgeon will give you gauze to help control the bleeding. You will need to bite down with gentle pressure for around 20 to 30 minutes if this happens.

Enquire now

Have questions?

The price of getting oral surgery will depend on the type and complexity of the surgery. Some surgeries will be more straightforward than others and will take less time. It will also depend on if you are being sedated before surgery and what type of sedation you use. Your dentist or oral surgeon will recommend the best treatment option for you and give you an estimate of the price and payment options during your consultation visit.

In some cases, oral surgery can be prevented with good oral health and hygiene, as well as regular dentist visits. However sometimes you will need oral surgery even if your oral health is good and you regularly visit the dentist. Wisdom tooth removal surgery is difficult to prevent as it depends on the pain your wisdom teeth cause and the way they have erupted in the mouth.

Making sure you feel comfortable during treatment and surgery is a high priority of oral surgeons. At your consultation visit, you can discuss any concerns you have about the surgery and your surgeon will recommend the best option to make you feel at ease during surgery. In many cases you can choose to be sedated during surgery to make you feel more relaxed and to manage the pain. If you are sedated you won’t feel any pain during the surgery. For the next few days following oral surgery you may feel some pain or discomfort but this can usually be managed using pain medication and will usually go away in a few days.

Your dentist will often refer you to an oral surgeon if you need more complex treatment such as wisdom tooth removal under sedation or dental implant placement. Oral surgeons have special training for surgery of the mouth, teeth and jaw so you’re in good hands.

Oral surgery involves more complex dental treatment such as implant placement, treatment for TMJ and wisdom tooth removal. For most oral surgeries you’ll be sedated. This means you will likely need time to rest and recover following surgery. It may take some time for the sedation to wear off so you may need someone to drive you home. You might experience some swelling, pain or discomfort. Using ice packs and taking pain medication can help with recovery and pain. It will normally take a couple of days for you to recover.  You will need to make some changes to your diet and dental care routine during that time.