Dentoalveolar Surgery
Pronunciation: den-toh-al-VEE-oh-lar
A branch of oral surgery concerned with procedures involving the teeth and surrounding alveolar bone, including extractions, apicectomies, and socket management.
Full Definition
Dentoalveolar surgery encompasses the full range of surgical procedures directed at the teeth and their immediate supporting structures, most notably the alveolar bone and periodontal tissues. It is distinct from broader maxillofacial surgery in that it does not typically involve skeletal repositioning or reconstruction of facial bones. Common procedures include simple and surgical extractions, apicoectomies, exposure of impacted teeth for orthodontic purposes, and frenectomies. Editors working on dentoalveolar surgery documents should treat the compound as a single unhyphenated adjective. The term is preferred over the colloquial 'tooth surgery' in all formal clinical and medico-legal contexts.
Usage
Usage note: Preferred unhyphenated in British and American surgical literature. The hyphenated form 'dento-alveolar' appears in some older texts but is now largely obsolete in formal writing.
In Context
- "The referral letter specified that dentoalveolar surgery would be required prior to the commencement of orthodontic treatment." — Referral Letter
- "Postoperative instructions for dentoalveolar surgery patients must be written in plain language." — Patient Information Leaflet