Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a type of surgery that
deals with the treatment of disorders in the mouth, teeth, jaws, face, skull,
and neck. Oral and maxillofacial surgery mainly involves surgical correction
of defects in the maxilla region. This special surgery is dedicated to regain
the functionality of the defective parts caused by congenital defects or
injuries. The surgery to improve the appearance of a patient in maxillofacial
region can sometimes be combined with oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is practiced by professionals
called oral and maxillofacial surgeons, who have proficiency in both dentistry
and medicine. In many occasions, they have to work in collaboration with
consultants in the ear, nose and throat (ENT), plastic surgery, neurosurgery
and clinical oncology departments. In the
US, oral and maxillofacial
surgery is considered as a specialty of dentistry.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons first let the patients go
through a proper clinical examination. The diagnostic tools such as x-rays are
used to verify the condition. The treatment methodology is decided on the
basis of dental model analysis. Many of the treatments include orthodontic
treatment methods along with maxillofacial surgery, to attribute the best
results. The recovery period after surgery varies depending on the complexity
of the surgery.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is an extensive area which
includes many specific treatments such as oral and dentoalveolar surgery,
praeprosthetic surgery, dental implants, orthognathic surgery, reconstructive
surgery, aesthetic facial surgery, etc. Oral and maxillofacial surgery
provides diagnosis and treatment for a wide array conditions such as cleft lip
and palate, wisdom teeth, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, sleep apnea,
facial bone fractures and injury trauma, odontogenic and not odontogenic
tumors, congenital craniofacial deformities, head and neck cancers, salivary
gland diseases, facial disproportion, facial pain, facial injuries, impacted
teeth, cysts and tumours of the jaws, problems affecting the oral mucosa,
mouth ulcers, infections, etc.
