Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery  

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a branch of 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.

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.

Treatments performed by Maxillofacial Surgeons include: 

• Dentoalveolar surgery includes 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.
• Tooth extraction includes not just knocking out the tooth from the socket but taking care of medical conditions of the patients and then performing it atraumatically. It is always well performed by oral surgeons.
• Preparing the surgical site for implant placement by taking care of anatomical structures is also performedby oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Biologic Parameters for Implants Acceptance includes Material Biocompatibility, Implant Design, Implant Surface, Host Site, medical condition of the patient etc. 

Diagnosis and Treatment 

Oral surgeons are trained to treat benign and malignant lesions of the oral cavity surgically. Cysts and tumors are taken care by them too. Congenital craniofacial malformations such as cleft lip and palate and cranial vault malformations such as craniosynostosis, (craniofacial surgery) are treated by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. 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) are treated by oral surgeons.bChronic facial pain disorders, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are treated as well. 

Cosmetic Surgery 

Cosmetic surgery limited to the head and neck which includes rhytidectomy / facelift, browlift / blepharoplasty, otoplasty, rhinoplasty, septoplasty, cheek augmentation, chin augmentation, genioplasty, neck liposuction, hair transplant, lip enhancement, injectable cosmetic treatments, botox, chemical peel etc are performed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

OMFS day 

The Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India (AOMSI) observe February 13 as the day of oral and Maxillofacial surgeons to commemorate its first meeting held on this date in 1969. Wide spectrum of activities and awareness programmes are held on this day to recognise the healthcare they provide to the public.

Article by Dr. Siri P. B.