Oral and Maxillofacial surgery deals with the diagnosis and treatment of a number of functional, and aesthetic conditions, of the bones, skin, and muscles of the face, mouth, and jaws. It can be described as a bridge between medicine and dentistry. Therefore, a range of oral and maxillofacial surgical operations are carried out on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia in the dental chair; however, some may require a short general anesthetic as a day case procedures. More major maxillofacial surgeries are carried out on an inpatient basis under general anesthesia.
Due to the nature of the specialty, oral and maxillofacial surgeons often work alongside a variety of specialists in other fields such as ENT surgeons, clinical oncologists, plastic surgeons, orthodontists, restorative dentists, radiologists and neurosurgeons.
The scope of the specialty is extensive and includes but not limited to:
A great majority of wisdom teeth are impacted and most of them will need removal as a result of existing pathologies or dental referrals. Impacted canine teeth are either removed or surgically exposed as a surgical aid to orthodontics.
Jaw cysts are commonly associated with an impacted tooth or as a result of an untreated periapical infection. Other forms of jaw cysts exist and can be associated with other pathologies. Jaw tumors are rarer and can originate from dental or other tissues.
Implant surgery; involve the insertion of dental implants to retain facial or dental prostheses. This can require maxillary sinus membrane lifting, and/or grafting of the site largely with an autogenous bone harvested from other bones inside or outside the mouth.
Displaced fractures are reduced and plated to prevent discrepancy to the bite and to restore facial contour
This is a broad term to describe a wide range of conditions that can be manifested with jaw joint pain, clicking joint, locked jaw, earache, or facial pain.
Involves the diagnosis and management of medical conditions presenting in the mouth and jaws, including ulcers and lumps of the cheek, tongue or other parts of the oral cavity.
Deals with the correction of congenital or acquired facial deformity primarily to improve oro-facial function, but also often to overcome facial disfigurement and restore quality of life.
Early detection and timely treatment can be curative for oral cancer. Maxillofacial oncologists deal with the resection and functional reconstruction of malignant tumors of the head and neck.
The salivary glands produce saliva into the oral cavity and they can be affected with a various conditions including benign or malignant tumors, dry mouth, infections, or the development of stones.
