Oral and maxillofacial surgery

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

Occupation
Names	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
Occupation type	Specialty
Activity sectors	Dentistry Medicine Surgery
Description
Education required	Dental degree Medical degree (depending on country)

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is surgery to correct a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. It is a recognized international surgical specialty and it is one of the nine specialties of dentistry (recognized as a medical specialty in certain parts of the world, such as the UK).

Regulations

In the U.S.A., UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Brazil, oral and maxillofacial surgery is one of the 9 specialties recognized by the American Dental Association, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Royal College of Dentists of Canada, Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and the Brazilian Federal Council of Odontology (CFO).

In other parts of the world oral and maxillofacial surgery as a specialty exists but under different forms as the work is sometimes performed by a single or dual qualified specialist depending on each country's regulations and training opportunities available.

Summary

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

In the US, the name oral and maxillofacial surgery should be abbreviated most appropriately as OMS, rather than OMFS as some sources suggest. The abbreviation OMFS may be appropriate only in the European system where Maxillo-Facial is hyphenated. In the US, maxillofacial is the official entry in the American language dictionary defining the anatomical region, and is also the official term used by all related surgical organizations, including the AAOMS, ABOMS, and ACOMS.

Maxillofacial surgeons are usually initially qualified in dentistry and have undergone further surgical training. Some OMS residencies integrate a medical education as well and an appropriate degree in medicine (MBBS or MD or equivalent) is earned, although in the United States there is legally no difference in what a dual degree OMS can do compared to someone who earned a four year certificate. Generally, dual-degree programs have become more commonplace as the profession of OMS has recognized the value of holding a medical degree in terms of obtaining hospital and OR privileges. Oral & maxillofacial surgery is universally recognized as a one of the nine specialties of dentistry. However also in the UK and many other countries OMFS is a medical specialty as well culminating in the FRCS (Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons). Regardless, all oral & maxillofacial surgeons must obtain a degree in dentistry (BDS, BDent, DDS, or DMD or equivalent) before being allowed to begin residency training in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

They also may choose to undergo further training in a 1 or 2 year subspecialty fellowship training in the following areas:

• Head and neck cancer - microvascular reconstruction
• Cosmetic facial surgery
• Craniofacial surgery/Pediatric Maxillofacial surgery
• Cranio-maxillofacial trauma
• Head and neck reconstruction (plastic surgery of the head and neck region)
• Maxillofacial regeneration(reformation of the facial region by advanced stem cell technique)

The popularity of oral and maxillofacial surgery as a career for persons whose first degree was medicine, not dentistry, seems to be increasing in few EU countries However the public fund spend for 14 years of training is a big concern of the state. Integrated programs are becoming more available to medical graduates allowing them to complete the dental degree requirement in about 3 years in order for them to advance to subsequently complete Oral and Maxillofacial surgical training. [1]

Surgical procedures

Treatments may be performed on the craniomaxillofacial complex: mouth, jaws, neck, face, skull, and include:

• Dentoalveolar surgery (surgery to remove impacted teeth, difficult tooth extractions, extractions on medically compromised patients, bone grafting or preprosthetic surgery to provide better anatomy for the placement of implants, dentures, or other dental prostheses)
• Diagnosis and treatment of benign pathology (cysts, tumors etc.)
• Diagnosis and treatment (ablative and reconstructive surgery, microsurgery) of malignant pathology (oral & head and neck cancer).
• Diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous malignancy (skin cancer), lip reconstruction
• Diagnosis and treatment of congenital craniofacial malformations such as cleft lip and palate and cranial vault malformations such as craniosynostosis, (craniofacial surgery)
• Diagnosis and treatment of chronic facial pain disorders
• Diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
• Diagnosis and treatment of dysgnathia (incorrect bite), and orthognathic (literally "straight bite") reconstructive surgery, orthognathic surgery, maxillomandibular advancement, surgical correction of facial asymmetry.
• Diagnosis and treatment of soft and hard tissue trauma of the oral and maxillofacial region (jaw fractures, cheek bone fractures, nasal fractures, LeFort fracture, skull fractures and eye socket fractures).
• Splint and surgical treatment of sleep apnea, maxillomandibular advancement, genioplasty (in conjunction with sleep labs or physicians)
• Surgery to insert osseointegrated (bone fused) dental implants and Maxillofacial implants for attaching craniofacial prostheses and bone anchored hearing aids.
• Cosmetic surgery limited to the head and neck: (rhytidectomy/facelift, browlift, blepharoplasty/Asian blepharoplasty, otoplasty, rhinoplasty, septoplasty, cheek augmentation, chin augmentation, genioplasty, oculoplastics, neck liposuction, lip enhancement, injectable cosmetic treatments, botox, chemical peel etc.)

In Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is one of the 9 dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association, Royal College of Dentists of Canada, the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeonsand College of Physician and Surgeons Pakistan. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery requires 4–6 years of further formal University training after dental school (DDS, BDent, DMD or BDS). Four-year residency programs grant a certificate of specialty training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Six-year residency programs grant the specialty certificate in addition to a medical degree (MD, DO, MBBS, MBChB etc.). Specialists in this field are designated registrable U.S. “Board Eligible” and warrant exclusive titles. Approximately 50% of the training programs in the U.S., 100% of the programs in Australia and New Zealand, and 20% of Canadian training programs, are "dual-degree". The trainees obtain a degree in Medicine (MD, DO, MBBS, MBChB etc) as well as a specialty certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

The typical training program for an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon is:

• 2 - 4 Years Undergraduate Study (BS, BA, or equivalent degrees)
• 4 Years Dental Study (DMD, BDent, DDS or BDS)
• 4 - 6 Years Residency Training (additional time for acquiring medical degree)
• After completion of surgical training most undertake final specialty examinations: (U.S. "Board Certified (ABOMS)"), (Australia/NZ: "FRACDS(OMS)"), or (Canada: "FRCD(C)(OMS)")
• Many dually qualified oral and maxillofacial surgeons are now also obtaining Fellowships with the American College of Surgeons (FACS)
• Average total length after Secondary School: 12 - 14 Years

In addition, graduates of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery training programs can pursue fellowships, typically 1 – 2 years in length, in the following areas:

• Head and neck cancer - microvascular reconstruction
• Cosmetic facial surgery (facelift, rhinoplasty, etc.)
• Craniofacial surgery/Pediatric Maxillofacial surgery (cleft lip and palate repair, surgery for craniosynostosis, etc.)
• Cranio-maxillofacial trauma (soft tissue and skeletal injuries to the face, head and neck)

Notable oral and maxillofacial surgeons

• Luc Chikhani reconstructed Trevor Rees-Jones's face, which was flattened by the impact of the car crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales.
• Bernard Devauchelle a French oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Amiens University Hospital who in November 2005 successfully completed the first face transplant on Isabelle Dinoire.
• Tomaso Vercellotti developed a new technology to reduce damage caused by traditional burs and saws called Piezosurgery which uses ultra sonic vibrations to cut bone tissue leaving soft tissue unharmed.

Organizations

• American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• American College of Surgeons
• The Royal College of Surgeons of England
• Faculty of Dental Surgery of The Royal College of Surgeons of England

See also

• Craniofacial surgery
• Craniofacial team
• Hilotherapy—a therapy to improve healing post surgery
• Distraction osteogenesis
• Operation Smile
• Project Harar
• Oral surgery
• Orthognathic surgery
• Osseointegration
• Dental implant
• The Smile Train
• Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

External links

• Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery
• International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
• American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons