Welcome to The Oral Surgery Clinic

If you've been told to see an oral surgeon, or you're trying to make sense of a problem with your mouth, teeth or jaw, you'll probably have questions. That's normal, and it's exactly why we've started this blog.

So, welcome to The Oral Surgery Clinic. We're a consultant-led private oral surgery practice, and we look after patients from Herefordshire, Worcestershire, south Shropshire and Monmouthshire.

Before you come and see us, we want you to know who you'll be seeing, what your options are, and what happens next. No jargon, no pressure, just a clear plan.

What we help with

Oral surgery covers a lot of ground. Some people come to us with a tooth that needs removing. Others come because of ongoing discomfort, a change in the lining of the mouth, or pain around the jaw or face that nobody has managed to explain yet.

We deal with a wide range of things, including:

• Teeth that need removing surgically, such as wisdom teeth, impacted teeth, buried roots, and extractions that have been difficult before.

• Sinus problems that may be coming from a tooth, where an upper tooth and the sinus sit close together.

• Changes in the mouth, such as ulcers, red or white patches, lumps and other soft-tissue concerns.

• Jaw and facial pain, including jaw joint problems, clicking, and conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia.

• Other oral surgery where it's needed, such as jaw cysts, salivary gland problems and bone grafting.

That's not a complete list. If you're not sure whether your problem is something we can help with, just ask us. What comes next always depends on your symptoms, an examination, and any scans or records you already have.

The same services are on our website, where you can read a bit more about each one before you get in touch.

Teeth that need removing surgically

Sometimes a tooth can't simply be removed. It might be impacted, broken off below the gum, hard to reach, or it may have caused trouble during a previous attempt. Wisdom teeth are the usual culprits, but buried roots and other impacted teeth come up too.

At your appointment we'll have a proper look and talk you through what's involved. If a tooth does need to come out, you'll have time to ask questions and decide how you want to go ahead.

Dentoalveolar is just the term for the teeth and the bone that holds them. For more complex cases we may use a cone beam CT scan, which gives a detailed 3D view of the jaw and helps us plan the surgery properly.

When sinus symptoms come from a tooth

The roots of some upper teeth sit very close to the floor of the maxillary sinus, the air-filled space above your back teeth. That's why a problem with an upper tooth can sometimes turn up as sinus symptoms. When that happens, it's called odontogenic sinusitis.

Sinus symptoms have plenty of possible causes, so we don't just assume it's a tooth. But if there's a chance that's what's going on, an assessment can help work out what's contributing and whether anything needs treating. We're happy to do that alongside your own dentist or GP.

Changes in your mouth worth checking

Mouth ulcers, red or white patches, lumps, changes to the tongue and other soft-tissue problems can be sore, annoying, or just quietly worrying. An appointment gives you the chance to talk about what you've noticed and find out whether anything needs doing.

We do oral medicine and diagnostic work, including mouth cancer checks and, when it's needed, a soft-tissue biopsy. A biopsy just means taking a small sample of tissue to look at. Whether that or another test is needed depends on what we find. The point of the appointment is to look properly and explain your options, not to jump to conclusions.

We also see people with jaw joint problems, jaw clicking and facial pain, including conditions like trigeminal neuralgia, as well as other oral surgery such as jaw cysts, salivary gland problems and bone grafting.

How we look after you

You'll see the same consultant from your first appointment through to your treatment and your follow-up. That continuity matters. You get to talk things through with the person actually doing your surgery, at every stage.

We explain things in plain English. You'll know what we've found, what the options are, and why we're suggesting a particular plan. Getting the diagnosis right comes first. Sometimes imaging would help, such as a cone beam CT scan for complex surgery.

Most procedures are done with local anaesthetic, which is what we normally use. If you're anxious, or your treatment is more complex, we can also talk about sedation or a general anaesthetic where that's suitable. These aren't right for everyone or every procedure, so we'll be straight with you about what fits your situation.

If you're nervous, please say so. It's much easier to help when we know. The aim is to give you clear information and real options, never to push you into a decision. And if you're worried about something more serious, we'll treat that the same way: careful assessment, honest explanation, sensible next steps.

Working with your dentist and GP

Your care often involves more than one person, and that's fine by us. We'll work alongside your own dentist or GP, share what's useful, and keep everyone on the same page. If you've been referred, bring along any letters, scans or X-rays, and a list of your current medicines if you have one.

Booking and referrals

You don't need a referral to book with us. You can also be referred by your dentist or GP if that suits you better. We see self-pay patients and patients insured with Bupa, WPA, Aviva, Cigna, Allianz, AXA Health and Vitality. If you're using insurance, it's worth checking your cover and any authorisation you need before treatment.

To find out more or ask for an appointment, have a look at our patient information and booking page. If you're a dentist or GP, referral information is on our professional referrals page. And you can always get in touch with a question.

Thanks for reading

Dr Michael Giffen leads the care here at The Oral Surgery Clinic. He brings 20 years of clinical practice to your appointment, with more than a decade of it as a specialist in oral surgery. That breadth shapes how the clinic works: careful assessment, clear communication, and seeing things through with you.

We'll introduce him properly in a post of his own very soon. For now, we hope this gives you a decent first feel for who we are and what we do.

If something's bothering you, or you've been told to seek specialist care, you're very welcome to get in touch and ask us what to do next.