Basic Surgical Techniques

Question 1

What are the three basic principles of surgery?

Answer 1

Risk assessment

Aseptic technique

Minimal trauma to hard and soft tissues

Question 2

What are the stages of oral surgery?

Answer 2

• consent
• surgical safety sheet
• Anaesthesia
• access
• bone removal as necessary
• tooth division as necessary
• debridement
• suture
• achieve haemostasis
• post - op instructions
• post - op medication

Question 3

What is the name of a flap cut to access bone? What are the main things to consider?

Answer 3

Mucoperisoteal flap

• wide incision in one smooth cut
• no sharp angles
• adequate size (large heals just as fast as small)
• minimise trauma to papillae

Question 4

When cutting a 3 sided flap for lower 8 removal, what should be done with the first incision?

Answer 4

Cut more buccal than lingual

Question 5

What handpiece is used during bone removal and tooth division? Why?

Answer 5

Motor driven straight handpiece and irrigation

Turbine air handpiece not used as surgical emphysema can occur (air blown into soft tissues, can be life threatening)

Question 6

What are the main principles of use of elevators?

Answer 6

Avoid excessive force

Support instrument to avoid slip

Always use under direct vision

Never apply force towards major structures

Never use adjacent tooth as fulcrum

Question 7

What are the three main actions of elevator action

Answer 7

Wheel and axle

Wedge

Lever

Question 8

What are the three types of debridement of tissue

Answer 8

Physical - file or handpiece

Irrigation - sterile saline

Suction - aspirator under flap

Question 9

What are the aims of suturing?

Answer 9

Cover bone

Achieve haemostasis

Compress blood vessels

Encourage healing

Question 10

How can haemostasis be helped to be achieved

Answer 10

• Use LA with vasoconstrictor
• Pack socket with surgical to provide framework for clot to form
• use sutures