Oral and maxillofacial surgery

The following article appears at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_and_maxillofacial_surgery

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 dental specialty, which requires a minimum length of formation of 5 years for a basic medical training and 4 years for a basic medical and dental training, in the European Union. In the U.S.A. and Canada it is one of the 9 dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association and the Royal College of Dentists of Canada.

Area of Specialty

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained to treat problems such as the extraction of wisdom teeth, misaligned jaws, tumors and cysts of the jaw and mouth, and to perform dental implant surgery. They are also trained to administer anesthesia, and provide care in an office setting.[1] The scope of this specialty is extensive and concerns the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the oral (mouth) and maxillofacial (face and neck) regions, including the following:

Oral and Dentoalveolar Surgery (removal of impacted and buried teeth, cysts, etc.) Preprosthetic Surgery (bone augmentation) Dental implant surgery and associated bone grafting (to replace missing teeth or stabilise dentures; rehabilitation of patients having undergone surgery for tumours; to retain facial prostheses) Orthognathic surgery (dentofacial deformities) Facial trauma surgery (facial bone fractures and injuries) Surgery of Odontogenic and non-odontogenic Tumors Reconstructive surgery Cleft lip and palate surgery Congenital craniofacial deformities Facial plastic surgery (rhinoplasty, rhytidectomy, blepharoplasty, facial implants, etc.) Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) Head and Neck Oncology

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (OMFS) frequently work alongside other specialists including dentists, orthodontists, prosthodontists, radiologists, pathologists, oncologists, ENT surgeons, neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons and professionals allied to medicine (British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons [2]).

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is often found at the bridge of dentistry and medicine, and, as such, is recognized as a medical specialty in most countries, a dental specialty in others. Most countries require dual-certification in both dentistry (DDS, DMD, or BDS) and medicine (MD, MBBS, MBBCh, or equivalent) to practice Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

United States and Canada

In the U.S.A. and Canada, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is one of the 9 dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association and Canadian Dental Association. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery requires 4-6 years of further formal University training after dental school (DDS or DMD). 4-year residency programs grant a certificate of specialty training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 6-year residency programs grant the specialty certificate in addition to a medical degree (MD). 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., but only 1/5 of Canadian training programs, are dual-degree leading to dual certification in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and medicine (MD).

The typical training program for a North American Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon is:

4 Years Undergraduate Study (BA, BS, or equivalent) 4 Years Dental Study (DMD or DDS) 4 - 6 Years Residency Training (6 Year training includes MD Degree) Total Length after Secondary School: 12 - 14 Years In addition, graduates of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery training programs can pursue advanced fellowships, typically 1 - 2 years in length, training in the following areas:

Craniofacial/Pediatric Maxillofacial Surgery (cleft lip and palate repair, surgery for craniosynostoses, etc.) Head and Neck Surgical Oncology (ablative survery for cancer and microvascular reconstructive surgery) Facial Cosmetic Surgery (facelift, rhinoplasty, etc.) Maxillofacial Trauma Surgery (soft tissue and skeletal injuries to the face and neck)