Oral and maxillofacial surgery

Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) deals with the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the mouth, jaws, face and neck. It is unique in requiring a dual qualification in medicine and dentistry.

The scope of the speciality is large and includes the surgical and non-surgical management of conditions of the hard and soft tissues of the face, jaws and neck.

This can be further broken down into the management of facial and cranio-maxillofacial injuries, head, neck and facial skin cancers that require removal and often complex reconstruction. The correction of congenital and acquired facial deformity, the treatment of salivary gland diseases and cosmetic procedures are also carried out. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, impacted teeth, cysts and tumours of the jaws are all treated, as well as intra-oral and extra-oral implantology with associated hard and soft tissue augmentation as part of pre-prosthetic surgery.

The speciality also deals with non-surgical problems affecting the oro-facial region such as the management of facial pain, oral mucosal disease and infections. Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons usually work in teams, developing areas of sub-specialisation in the practice that include head and neck cancer and reconstruction, facial deformity, cleft lip and palate and aesthetic facial surgery.