What is Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery?
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery is the branch of dentistry that involves surgery to correct diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral (mouth) and Cranio-maxillofacial (jaws and face) region.
What procedures do maxillofacial surgeons do?
The field of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery ranges from simple extractions and surgical removal of buried teeth (including wisdom teeth) to management of facial trauma. Common oral surgical procedures include the extraction of teeth, including wisdom teeth surgery, dental extractions for medically compromised patients, placement of dental implants, bone grafting, tongue tie surgery, and diagnosis and treatment of cysts and tumours.
Common jaw surgery procedures include reconstructive surgery to correct orthodontic problems that cannot easily be treated with braces, and surgery to correct the structure of the face and jaw including congenital conditions such as cleft lip and cleft palate.