Your First Oral Surgery Consultation in Valencia or Bakersfield: What to Expect

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are dental specialists who complete years of hospital based surgical training after dental school, including formal training in anesthesia. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons describes the full scope of the specialty if you are curious. In everyday practice, the most common reasons for a first visit include:

• Wisdom teeth that are impacted, crowding or causing pain
• A tooth that needs to come out, especially one that is broken or difficult
• Planning a dental implant, with or without a bone graft
• A sore, patch or lump in the mouth that needs to be examined
• A bite or jaw problem that braces alone cannot correct

Many patients arrive with a referral from their dentist or orthodontist. If you were referred, the surgical phase is planned in coordination with them, and you go back to your own dentist for the restorative side of your care.

A little preparation makes the visit faster and the plan more accurate. Bring:

• Your referral, if your dentist or orthodontist gave you one
• Any X-rays taken in the last year, including a panoramic film or a CBCT scan if one was done
• A full list of your prescriptions, over the counter medications and supplements, with doses
• Your medical history, including past surgery, known allergies and your physician's name
• Your insurance card or plan details

You are welcome to bring someone with you. A great deal is discussed at a surgical consultation, and a second set of ears helps. If the patient is a minor, a parent or legal guardian who can consent to treatment needs to come along.

Allow more time than you would for a routine dental cleaning. The examination, any imaging and the discussion of options all happen at the same visit, and the office will tell you what to expect for your case when you book.

Oral surgery is planned from imaging. At OAKS, imaging is done on site: a panoramic radiograph shows all of the teeth and both jaws in one picture, and a cone beam CT scan adds a three dimensional view where the case calls for one.

That 3D view matters most when a surgeon needs to see exactly where a root sits in relation to a nerve or the sinus, or how much bone is available for an implant. Not every patient needs one. If your dentist already took recent images, bring them, since they may help.

Once the examination and imaging are done, the surgeon walks you through what they found, in plain language. You should leave the consultation knowing the diagnosis, the options and the cost.

Expect to talk about:

• What the problem is and what happens if you leave it alone
• The treatment options, including when watching and waiting is reasonable
• Your anesthesia choices: local anesthesia, nitrous oxide, intravenous sedation or general anesthesia
• What recovery will look like and how much time to plan off work or school
• What your insurance is expected to cover

On cost, the office verifies your benefits with your plan and reviews the expected cost with you before treatment is scheduled, so you know the number before you commit to anything. If you want to start that process early, call ahead with your plan details.

Write your questions down before you come. Nothing is too small to ask, and it is easy to forget a question once the conversation starts.

Oral surgery is often one step in a larger plan. For an implant, for example, the surgeon places the implant and manages the surgical phase, then hands back to your restorative dentist for the crown. The plan is built backwards from where the final tooth needs to sit.

If you came on a referral, a summary of the consultation goes back to your dentist so everyone is working from the same plan. If you came on your own, you can ask for your records to be shared with your dentist.

Both offices are open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

• Bakersfield: 1010 Calloway Drive, Suite 200B, Bakersfield, CA 93312. Phone (661) 246-3750.
• Valencia: 23501 Cinema Drive, Suite 207, Valencia, CA 91355. Phone (661) 383-2550.

If you will be having sedation or general anesthesia at a later appointment, remember that you will need a responsible adult to drive you home that day, so plan the trip with them in mind. Directions and maps for each office are on the Bakersfield and Valencia location pages.

When you are ready, call the office closest to you or request a consultation online.