Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained to recognize and treat 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. They are also trained to administer anesthesia and provide care in an office setting.

Procedures undertaken by oral and maxillofacial surgeons include: surgical treatment of facial injuries – complex craniofacial fractures, fractures of the lower jaw, upper jaw, cheekbone, nose, and orbit (sometimes all of these together) and soft tissue injuries of the mouth, face and neck.

Facial Trauma/Injury-An oral surgeon should quickly see patients who've suffered facial trauma (fractured or dislocated the jaw) so the jaw can be reset. Oral surgeons also routinely provide care and treatment to people who've suffered from facial and oral lacerations.

The length of surgery will depend on the needs. It may be 2-4 hours.

An individual when, under general anaesthetic during the procedure, so no pain is felt. After the surgery, the patient will be given painkillers to help make the recovery stage as easy as possible. If one follows the correct recovery steps, they will recover in as little discomfort as possible.

The surgeon cuts the bone above the teeth so that the entire top jaw — including the roof of the persons mouth and the upper teeth — can move as one unit. The jaw and upper teeth are moved forward until they fit properly with the lower teeth.

An oral and maxillofacial surgeon holds a medical degree and has extensive training in dental medicine. While an oral surgeon is unable to perform the most advanced oral surgical procedures, there are no limitations on the types of dental surgery that a maxillofacial surgeon can perform.

Treat Facial Trauma – Oral surgeons can reconnect severed nerves, set fractured jaw and facial bones, and repair minor to complex facial skin lacerations. They treat facial injuries involving the oral tissues, jaws, cheek and nasal bones, eye sockets, and the forehead.

Typically, the oral surgeon will ask the patient at least take about 48-72 hours to relax afterward so the treatment area is allowed to clot. After that, a patient should be able to return to normal physical activity. The soft tissue will usually fully heal in about 3-4 weeks.

One of the best ways to make sure a person recovers quickly from an oral surgery is to be conscious of their oral hygiene. Keeping the surgical site clean is very important to the healing. Immediately after surgery, any spitting or sucking should be avoided for at least 24-hours. These behaviors can cause the blood clots that need to form to be damaged or dislodged. One should still attempt to brush their teeth gently and rinse the mouth out with water. Additionally, no smoking or tobacco use should occur for at least a week after surgery. Smoking can delay the healing process and do damage to the healing tissue.