 |
 |
|
|
 |
What is Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is defined by the American Dental Association as the specialty of dentistry which includes the diagnosis, surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries and defects involving both the functional and esthetic aspects of the bone and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons do many different types of surgeries related to the mouth, teeth, jaws and face. These types of surgeries may include but are not limited to: reconstruction of damaged facial areas, removal of tumors and cancerous lesions, surgical repositioning of the jaws to correct bites, placing dental implants, repairing cleft palates, extracting impacted teeth and performing many different types of cosmetic surgery. All oral and maxillofacial surgeons are dentists and some, like Dr. Keeley, hold medical degrees.
What special training do oral and maxillofacial surgeons receive?
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are required to complete a minimum of four years of hospital-based surgical residency, by an accredited program of the American Dental Association, after they graduate from dental school. During this special residency, all oral and maxillofacial surgery residents rotate through hospital medical, surgical and anesthesia services, where they perform the same duties and procedures as residents in medical specialties.
Each oral and maxillofacial residency emphasizes the diagnosis, treatment and management of problems of the oral and maxillofacial region of the mouth, face and jaws. Residents are required to spend a minimum of 30 months focusing on the oral and maxillofacial area before they are eligible to become board certified. Because of the special education they receive, oral and maxillofacial surgeons are licensed to perform many of the same procedures performed by physicians and plastic surgeons.
What kinds of procedures do oral and maxillofacial surgeons do?
Even though extraction of wisdom teeth is the most widely known surgical procedure performed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons, they are actually trained to diagnose and perform many different surgeries for conditions related to the entire face. Areas of oral and maxillofacial surgeon expertise include:
- Diagnosis and treatment of specific maxillofacial problems and overall conditions
- Administration of ambulatory anesthesia, conscious sedation and local anesthetics
- Certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support
- Esthetic surgery
- Cleft lip/palate and craniofacial surgery
- Correction and management of dentoalveolar tissues (soft tissues that hold the teeth in place)
- Reconstruction of the oral and maxillofacial region with implant devices designed to support prostheses
- Diagnosis and treatment of damaged sensory nerves in the face
- Surgical jaw realignment
- Diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ)
- Comprehensive management of trauma of the oral and maxillofacial region
- Tumor and cancer surgery
|
|
|
 |
