An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a regional specialist surgeon treating the anatomical area of the mouth, jaws and the face as well as associated structures.

Originally a specialty of dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) has become a true regional surgical specialty devoted to a well-defined anatomical region.

Most surgeons are initially qualified in dentistry and have undergone a further 4-6 years of specialty surgical training. Rapidly advancing medical knowledge makes a full medical undergraduate training increasingly necessary and many surgeons are trained in both medicine (MBBS or MD or equivalent) and in dentistry (BDS, DDS or DMD or equivalent). Following undergraduate training in medicine and dentistry, trainees spend further 4-6 years in specialty surgical training.

Treatments are provided in a narrow anatomical area of the mouth, jaws and the face but include:

• Dentoalveolar surgery (surgery to remove impacted teeth, difficult tooth extractions or extractions on medically compromised patients)
• Diagnosis and treatment of benign pathology of the region (cysts, tumors etc.)
• Diagnosis and treatment of malignant pathology of the region (oral and head and neck cancer)
• Diagnosis and treatment of congenital malformations such as cleft lip and palate
• Diagnosis and treatment of facial pain
• Diagnosis and treatment of temporo mandibular joint (jaw joint) disorders
• Diagnosis and treatment of dysgnathia (bad bite) and orthognathic (jaw shifting) reconstructive surgery
• Diagnosis and treatment of soft and hard tissue trauma of the oral and maxillofacial region (jaw fractures, cheek bone fractures,nasal fractures, frontal bone fractures and eye socket fractures
• Diagnosis and treatment of cutanous malgnancy (skin cancer surgery on the head and neck)
• Surgery to insert osseointegrated (bone fused) dental implants
• Splint and surgical treatment of sleep apnea (in conjunction with sleep labs or physicians)

Many oral and maxillofacial surgeons subspecialise in an area of interest and some undertake further training in craniomaxillofacial surgery, head and neck cancer surgery, facial plastic surgery etc.

Surgeons