Oral and Maxillofacial surgery is 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 an internationally recognized surgical specialty. In the US, India (and many other countries) it is one of the nine specialties of dentistry, however, it is also recognized as a medical specialty in certain parts of the world, such as the UK.
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a regional specialist surgeon treating the entire craniomaxillofacial complex: anatomical area of the mouth, jaws, face, skull, as well as associated structures. Maxillofacial surgeons are usually initially qualified in dentistry and have undergone further surgical training. Some OMS residencies integrate a medical education as well and an appropriate degree in medicine (MBBS or MD or equivalent).
They also may choose to undergo further training in a 1 or 2 year subspecialty fellowship training in the following areas:
- Head and neck cancer – microvascular reconstruction
- Cosmetic facial surgery
- Craniofacial surgery/Pediatric Maxillofacial surgery/Cleft Surgery
- Cranio-maxillofacial trauma
- Head and neck reconstruction (plastic surgery of the head and neck region)
- Maxillofacial regeneration(reformation of the facial region by advanced stem cell technique)