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Home  Dentistry Articles Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a specialty
of dentistry concerned with the diagnosis and surgical treatment
of congenital or acquired diseases, dysfunction, defects or
injuries of the mouth, jaws, face, neck and associated regions.
Maxilla refers to the jaws - lower maxilla or lower jaw is currently
called the mandible and the term maxilla refers to the upper
jaw.
Training
To specialize in oral and maxillofacial surgery
in the United States, a graduate of dental school must attend
either a four-year or a six-year residency program. The four-year
programs grant a certification of specialty training in oral
and maxillofacial surgery. The six-year programs grant certification
plus a doctorate degree in medicine (MD).
Scope
Oral and maxillofacial surgery deals with
:
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Dentoalveolar surgery: surgical removal
of impacted teeth, difficult extractions, removal of teeth
on medically compromised patients, exposure of teeth for
orthodontic reasons.
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Diagnosis and treatment of non-cancerous
cysts, tumors and growth, cancerous conditions of the oral
and facial region, of skin lesions (skin cancers) in the
region, facial pain, temporomandibular joint (TMJ, or jaw
joint) disorders
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Facial bony trauma: fractures of the
lower and upper jaw, cheek bones, noses, eye sockets, frontal
bone, etc.
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Facial soft tissue trauma: repair of
facial and oral lacerations
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Osseointegrated (bone anchored) implants:
dental and craniofacial implants
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Adjunctive measures in the treatment
of sleep apnea (Mandibular advancement splints and jaw advancement
surgery etc)
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Orthognathic Surgery (jaw realignment
surgery) to maximise facial function and aesthetics
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Reconstructive surgery
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Facial aesthetic surgery
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Salivary glands surgery
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