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What is an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon?

An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a specialist whose knowledge and skills are built on a foundation of four years of dental education plus an additional four or more years of training in an accredited, hospital-based oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program. This special surgical training encompasses the diagnosis, surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries, and defects involving both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region.

What Care Do Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Provide?

Oral and maxillofacial surgical care includes surgical procedures frequently performed in the office setting, including surgical extraction of wisdom teeth, surgical placement of dental implants, bone regeneration procedures for dental implants, removal of cysts and tumors, and dental extractions. The oral and maxillofacial surgeon is also able to work within the hospital setting for the treatment of oral and facial deformities, facial trauma, oral pathology, and temporomandibular joint disorders.

The oral and maxillofacial surgery residency incorporates extensive anesthesia training that enables oral and maxillofacial surgeons to perform a wide variety of procedures in both an office setting and a hospital environment. Local anesthesia, oral sedation and nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia, intravenous sedation, and general anesthesia are competently and safely administered in the oral and maxillofacial surgery office and appropriately selected to meet the requirements of the patient and the procedure. Office-based surgery is often the most efficient and cost-effective way to perform many procedures while maintaining maximum patient comfort and safety.

The oral and maxillofacial surgeon works in close cooperation with your family dentist and physician to provide you with the finest in dental health care.