Specialist oral surgery in Auckland

Costs vary with the complexity of the procedure, the anaesthesia chosen (local, intravenous sedation, or general anaesthesia), and whether private health insurance covers part of the treatment. At your consultation a full written estimate is provided covering the surgeon fee, anaesthetist fee, theatre fee and follow up appointments. Southern Cross and Nib commonly cover most procedures under their surgical plans.

You can make a self-referral to OMS Specialists. A GP or dentist referral is not required to make an appointment, and you can request a consultation directly through our website or by phoning the clinic. Many patients do come to us via referral from their general dentist or specialist orthodontist, and a formal referral with clinical notes helps our surgeons prepare a fuller assessment ahead of your appointment. At consultation we will then perform a detailed history and examination and give you a treatment plan with all of your options.

General dentists routinely manage straightforward extractions and many simpler oral surgical cases in their own rooms. Specialist oral and maxillofacial surgeon involvement is usually recommended when teeth are impacted within the jawbone, fractured at the gum line, or closely related to important structures such as the inferior alveolar nerve (which supplies feeling to the lower lip and chin) or the maxillary sinus, or when intravenous sedation (twilight anaesthesia) or general anaesthesia is preferred. Dental and zygomatic implants, bone augmentation, surgical exposure of unerupted teeth for orthodontic treatment, and biopsy of suspicious oral lesions also sit firmly within specialist scope, given the dual qualification in medicine and dentistry required.

Most oral surgery is performed under local anaesthesia with intravenous sedation (twilight anaesthesia) in one of our purpose designed clinic rooms, which leaves you deeply relaxed and drowsy with little or no memory of the procedure afterwards. Local anaesthesia alone is appropriate for simple extractions and biopsies, particularly when you would prefer to remain alert. General anaesthesia (complete anaesthesia) is reserved for more complex procedures, longer cases, or for patients who are particularly anxious, and is delivered at an affiliated Auckland hospital with a specialist anaesthetist. At your consultation we will discuss the options and recommend the modality that best suits your case and your preference.

Most patients return to desk-based work within 3 to 5 days after wisdom teeth removal or routine surgical extractions, 5 to 10 days after dental implant placement, and 1 to 2 weeks following bone augmentation (grafting). Soft diet, head elevation and prescribed pain medication are usually advised for the first few days, with swelling and bruising settling progressively across the first week. Physical work and exercise can usually resume around 2 weeks, and most patients return to normal eating within 7 to 14 days. At your pre-operative appointment you will be given a recovery plan specific to your case, post-operative instructions and contact information for help and advice should you need it, along with a medical certificate where required.

All surgery carries some risk, and the specific risks depend on the procedure being performed. Swelling, bruising and some discomfort are common in the first days after a procedure and settle as the area heals. Some procedures are planned around nearby structures, such as the nerve that provides the feeling to the lower lip and chin, which is why your case is assessed using clinical examination and imaging (often an OPG or CBCT scan). At your consultation the risks relevant to your case will be explained, and you will be given a treatment plan with all of your options and time to consider these.

Bone augmentation (grafting) may be required when there is not enough bone volume or density to securely anchor a dental implant, which is common following long-standing tooth loss, advanced gum disease, prior infection or trauma. Grafting can sometimes be performed at the same appointment as the extraction (a technique known as socket preservation), at a separate appointment several months before the implant is placed, or in appropriately selected cases alongside the implant itself. The graft material may be autogenous (your own bone), allograft, or a synthetic substitute, selected based on your case. CBCT (cone-beam CT) imaging is used at consultation to plan this accurately and confirm whether grafting is required.