What Is Oral Surgery?
Oral surgery is the part of dentistry focusing on wisdom teeth removal, sedation options, dental implantology and various other procedures, including the investigation of oral health and medical conditions such as oral cancer and oral lichen planus.
At Marylebone Smile Clinic, we have a diverse team led by cosmetic and reconstructive dentists, and oral surgery is part of our remit.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Perhaps the most important and largest subject within oral surgery is wisdom teeth removal. Wisdom teeth are similar to the appendix in the human body, in that they are surplus to minimum function. They are being phased out as we evolve as a species, and they typically cause issues because they are not given the space to erupt naturally.
As a result, they can tip over onto their side, which is sometimes called impaction, and they can cause problems for the teeth in front. They can cause pain, pericoronitis, which is inflammation of the gum overlying the wisdom tooth. This is where removal by an oral surgeon in London can be very helpful.
Our team at Marylebone Smile Clinic can help with wisdom teeth removal because we have access to cone beam scanning technology to identify the exact position of the tooth and associated structures. This allows us to remove it in a way that is very kind to the bone and the local tissues, giving you the smoothest treatment possible.
Dental Implants and Full Mouth Tooth Replacement
When teeth are missing through breakdown, decay or gum disease, they need to be replaced. Implants are often the most long-term solution because they are standalone and can typically replace multiple teeth over a long period of time.
To do this safely, a close understanding of the gum and bone tissue is required, which is where an oral surgeon comes in, so that implants are placed in a way that will support a natural-looking tooth.
Dental implants are a very large field, and we have a detailed information page on them. The role of the oral surgeon is the surgical placement of the metallic fixture into the bone. This requires an osteotomy, which is the cutting of the bone, as well as work on the gum and soft tissue around it. It is a very delicate procedure that can make or break the success of the overall implant replacement.
Maxillofacial and Corrective Jaw Surgery
This area is a mix of the specialties of maxillofacial surgery, oral surgery and orthodontics. Maxillofacial surgery is a wide-ranging specialty within medicine that typically handles trauma and cancer cases of the head and neck.
It intersects with oral surgery because maxillofacial treatment typically does not cover the mouth itself, but it can overlap with certain jaw surgeries, such as for broken mandibles and maxillae, and corrective jaw surgery for those with severe class 2 or class 3 occlusions. This is where orthodontists come into play, giving input on how the jaw should sit in a natural position.
Apicectomy and Oral Pathology
This area intersects with oral medicine and endodontics. Endodontics is the specialist subject of root canal treatments, and oral pathology is another specialty that intersects with oral medicine.
Oral surgery combines the two. Tissue samples (biopsies) that need to be analysed by oral pathology are taken by an oral surgeon, and apicectomies are often supported by oral surgery because the root tip is accessed externally, through the gum, which requires the help of an oral surgeon.
Sedation Dentistry
Conscious sedation is increasingly popular because it allows people who are extremely nervous or phobic about dentistry to have treatment done in a way that is very kind to them. Sedation is typically reported to be a pleasant experience, because there is a relative amnesia, and the anxiolytic properties of benzodiazepine sedatives are well established as being very effective.
Our clinic here on Harley Street, London, is well equipped to handle dental implants and wisdom teeth removal. Apicectomy, maxillofacial surgery and corrective jaw surgery are handled in hospital.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does wisdom tooth removal cost privately in London?
In London, wisdom tooth removal can range from £295 up to £695. The variation depends on the angulation of the wisdom tooth, whether sedation is part of your treatment plan, and the relative skill of the clinician. It is also available under the NHS under a band 2 charge of approximately £60 or entirely free within the dental hospital system.
With a lower overall cost, you may find that the procedure takes longer and that you have more bruising and swelling afterwards. At a specialist level, a skilled oral surgeon who is an implantologist will typically remove a wisdom tooth by sectioning the tooth first. This reduces post-operative swelling and pain because the tooth does not have to expand the bone and gum tissue on its way out.
In addition, suturing, or stitching, the gum is a very precise procedure, and clinicians who are implantologists or periodontists typically have very high clinical skills in this area, which again improves post-operative healing. Our team at Marylebone Smile Clinic are trained in periodontal and implant techniques by the world leaders in the field and use these methods routinely in their treatment of dental implants and wisdom teeth.
What is the recovery time after a dental implant?
It depends on the nature of your implant and whether you have had gum or bone grafting as well. If you have had neither, healing is typically very swift. Within 1 to 2 days you should feel back to normal and be able to go about your day as usual. The only restrictions are not to brush the area for 7 days and to avoid very vigorous exercise for 1 to 2 days.
Do I need a referral from my general dentist to see your oral surgeon at Marylebone Smile Clinic?
No, you do not. We offer self-referred treatment: you simply contact us, we give you our opinion and assessment of your teeth, and we can move forward with treatment according to what is comfortable for you.
That being said, if your general dentist is able to give a referral, that is also helpful, as it allows us to facilitate the transfer of records so that we can help you in the best way possible.
Are oral surgeons specialist dentists?
The term oral surgeon is a specialist title reserved for those who have undergone specialist oral surgery training. However, many dentists will describe themselves as oral surgeons, because it is an intersecting term within dental surgery and all dentists hold a baseline qualification in dental surgery.
It is a nuanced difference. All of our clinicians at Marylebone Smile Clinic are oral surgery trained, but we are not oral surgery specialists. That said, we handle many of the complex implantology cases that would otherwise go to specialist oral surgeons.
Dentist at Marylebone Smile Clinic and an Accredited member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
GDC number: 258353. Last reviewed: 9 November 2026