What is Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery?
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is the surgical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the teeth, mouth, jaws, face and neck. The conditions managed by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons include a range of common oral surgical problems (e.g. impacted teeth, dental implants), jaw and congenital facial disproportion, facial trauma, oral cancer, salivary gland disease, temporomandibular joint disorders and various benign pathologies (e.g. cysts and tumours of the jaws).
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons work in collaboration with Dentists and other specialists such as Orthodontists, Prosthodontists, Ear Nose and Throat Surgeons, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and Oncologists as part of multidisciplinary teams to optimise the treatment of major conditions and diseases of the mouth, jaws, face and neck.
Within Australia, to be recognised as a specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, a practitioner must have completed:
A degree in Dentistry (4-5 years)
A degree in Medicine (3-6 years)
Medical Internship (1 year)
Basic surgical training (1 year)
Advanced surgical training in the specialty (4 years)
Advanced surgical training involves countless hours in clinics, wards and operating theatres in major tertiary hospitals, successful completion of examinations (Surgical Science and Training Examination and the Final Examination) and research. This training is overseen on a regional and national level by the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons.
It is only then that a practitioner is awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (FRACDS (OMS)). This qualification is the mandatory requirement to be registered as a specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with the Dental Board of Australia, Medical Board of Australia and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). It is also the only qualification recognised by both the Australian Medical Council and Australian Dental Council.
It is possible to confirm whether your Surgeon is registered as an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon on the AHPRA website Register of Practitioners.