Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery

Oral and Maxillofacial surgery is a dental and medical specialty that focuses on the face, the head, the neck, the jaw, the sinuses, and oral surgery. This surgical specialty is unique in that surgeons can fall into one of two categories, medical doctors or dentists. Numerous doctors specialize in maxillofacial surgery and later become trained in oral surgery. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons do not see patients for general practice procedures. However, they may share an office with dentists who are general practitioners. A patient will usually receive a referral to an oral or maxillofacial surgeon form their family dentist for oral surgery. Other surgeries such as jaw reconstructions, broken noses, a deviated septum, and even pain problems will also be referred to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. For this reason many hospitals have an oral and maxillofacial surgeon on staff and on call in their emergency room at all times. Many car wrecks result in the need for this type of surgery.