Oral Surgery

Basic oral surgery

The oral cavity contains the tongue, jaws and teeth. It is surounded by the cheeks, lips, palate etc, with a mucosal lining over most of the surface. Due to the use of the mouth to investigate the environment and its involvement in fighting, injuries to this are aare common. Soft tissue reconstruction and dental treatment are often necessary.

Advanced oral and maxillofacialsurgery

In addition to injuries in this region, congenital and other developmental abnormalities are relatively common, and both benign and malignant tumours occur here.

A relatively benign tumour that can be cured by surgery

A segment of jaw around the tumour has been removed

Removal of segments of jaws is very successful in controling many types of tumour.

Dogs in particular have no problem eating following resection of significant section sof their upper or lower jaws. Even after removal of threequarters of the lower jaw they usually eat as soon as they have woken up from surgery. This is not surprising when you consider that the surgery is usually performed for removal of a painful tumour. The main problem after excision of large upper jaw tumours is over enthusiastic attempts at eating. Most dogs lap up and gulp down their food, but until they have adapted their feeding behaviour the tonge pushes some of the food out sideways.