An implant is a false metal root screwed into the jawbone. Implants form anchors for a crown, bridge or denture attachments.
A sialogram is a dye investigation of a salivary gland. It is carried out to look in detail at the larger salivary glands, namely the parotid or submandibular glands. These glands drain saliva into your mouth through small tubes (ducts). The parotid duct opens on the inside of the cheek next to the upper back teeth. The submandibular duct opens on the inside of the mouth under the tongue immediately behind the lower front teeth.
The temporomandibular joint (jaw joint) is located in front of the ear where the skull and the lower jaw meet. The joint allows the lower jaw (mandible) to move and function. The joint itself is made up of two bones that are separated by a disc of cartilage. Ligaments and muscles surround the joint.
You have recently been diagnosed as suffering from oral cancer. As part of the preparation for deciding which treatment is best for you, your doctors will “stage” your cancer. This leaflet tells you what is involved in that staging process and why it is important for your care.
The skin tends to lose its elasticity with age. In the eyelids this results in excess skin which forms folds in the upper lids and deepening creases in the lower lids. There may also be a loosening of the muscles in the lower eyelid that allows fat from the eye socket to push forwards and produce bags. In some people there is an inherited tendency for eye bags to develop in early adult life before any skin changes. Rarely problems can develop in and around the eyes as a result of medical complaints (eg thyroid disease).
You have an area inside your mouth that requires removal and the surgeon that has seen you has decided that using a laser would be best for you. A laser has many advantages over other types of surgery. It tends to produce less bleeding, swelling and pain.
You have a cut on your face which needs to be stitched. The doctor who has examined you has already decided that it is too big to be glued or taped. The treatment that is about to take place involves a general anaesthetic, ie: you are about to be put to sleep completely.
Arthroscopy is a form of keyhole surgery in which a small telescope is inserted into a joint. This allows the inside of the joint to be examined in great detail. It can diagnose as well as treat problems within the jaw joint.
Lichen planus is an inflammatory condition that can affect the lining of the mouth as well as the skin. The cause is not fully understood. It is common and affects up to 2% of the population. Lichen planus is most frequent in middle age and women are affected slightly more frequently than men. Although there is no known cure treatment can be given to make the symptoms better.
The wisdom tooth (or third molar) is usually the last tooth to erupt into the mouth anytime after about 16 years of age. Frequently there is not enough room to accommodate wisdom teeth and as such they do not come into the mouth normally. When this happens, the wisdom teeth are said to be “impacted”. Wisdom teeth are usually either impacted forwards into the tooth in front or backwards into the jaw bone.