The Basics of Oral Reconstructive Surgery

One of the nine specialty areas of dentistry is maxillofacial surgery. This surgery is performed to repair damage that has affected the neck, head, jaw, face, and the soft and hard tissues of the oral and maxillofacial areas, that was caused by injury, or by one or more conditions that may affect these areas.

Although the focus is on the oral maxillofacial areas of this, an oral maxillofacial surgeon is a specialist in the craniomaxillo facial region, which is the entire head, face, mouth, maxilla, and mandible (lower jaw). A maxillofacial surgeon is a qualified dentist who then underwent special surgical training, and they may often possess an MBBS or MD, although this is not a requirement in The United States.

Types of Procedures

Procedures performed in this area are not limited to just working on the teeth, but include dental alveolar surgery, which is surgeries performed to remove impacted teeth or other difficult tooth extractions as well as bone grafting and surgeries to prepare the patient for implants or other dental prosthetic devices.

Also included in this area are surgeries for treatment of TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders, removal of malignant or benign (non-, malignant) cysts and tumors in the craniomaxillo facial region, lip reconstruction caused by injury or cancer (chewing tobacco use, or "dip" often precede this surgery).

Oral Maxillofacial Specialist

Reconstructive surgery to repair fractures of the mandible (lower jaw) and maxilla (upper mouth, face area, cheekbones), surgeries for the treatment of sleep apnea, craniofacial prosthetics, and cosmetic surgeries for the head and face such as rhinoplasty (nose job), brow lifts, Botox, chemical peels, chin and cheek augmentations, lip enhancement procedures, facelifts and a multitude of other procedures are performed by the oral maxillofacial specialist, as well as work that you would typically expect from a dentist such as dental implants, gum and tooth contouring, crowns, bridges, dentures and other dental surgeries.

If you ever have the need for an oral maxillofacial surgeon, rest assured that you are in good hands and that they know what they are doing. To become a craniomaxillo facial specialist it takes the dentist 12-14 yrs of additional training after secondary school. Training includes, 2-4 years of undergraduate study, 4 years of dental study, 4-6 years for residency training, then after all that they must pass a final specialty examination: (U.S. "Board Certified (ABOMS) to finally be prepared to perform the procedures.