What is Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery?

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) is the specialty of dentistry that includes the diagnosis, surgical, and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries and defects, including both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissue of the oral and maxillofacial region. What this really means is that we deal with the diagnosis and management of problems from the clavicles (collar bones) to the brain. In this area, we do overlap with some other medical specialties. We are one of the seven recognized specialties of dentistry which, in addition to oral & maxillofacial surgery, include orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, endodontics, and oral pathology. Many oral and maxillofacial surgeons also have medical degrees and much of our work is carried out in hospitals alongside other medical specialties.

Oral & Maxillofacial surgeons are the only recognized dental specialists who, after completing dental school, are surgically trained in an American Dental Association-accredited hospital-based residency program for a minimum of four additional years. They train alongside medical residents in internal medicine, general surgery and anesthesiology, and also spend time in otolaryngology, plastic surgery, emergency medicine and other specialty areas. Their training focuses almost exclusively on the hard (i.e., bone) and soft (i.e., skin, muscle) tissue of the face, mouth, jaws, head, and neck. Their knowledge and surgical expertise uniquely qualify them to diagnose and treat the functional and esthetic conditions in this anatomical area.

The scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery practice includes, among others: