Maxfacts

Teeth

Postoperative problems affecting the teeth include

• Loss of vitality. Any damage to the blood supply of teeth following surgery can lead to pulp (nerve and blood tissue inside the tooth) death. This usually becomes infected as the resultant mush is a perfect growth medium for bacteria.
• Discolouration. Subsequent to leaked blood products from a dead pulp.
• Movement. Inflammation of, or damage to the supportive periodontal ligament can result in unwanted tooth movement.
• Direct damage. Chipping or fracturing of a tooth can result in minor (enamel only) damage, through dentinal exposure (painful) or pulp exposure (very painful).
• Abnormal occlusion. If the tooth extrudes it will meet its counterpart in the opposite jaw early keeping the bite open. Equally, if a jaw is repositioned incorrectly after a fracture repair the teeth can meet unevenly. In operations where the jaw is reset (orthognathic surgery) the plan is for a different bite which will be subsequently orthodontically corrected.