Maxillofacial surgery started as a solution to treat complex facial trauma sustained by those serving in the military. Since then, it’s evolved to treated additional pathological problems in the face.
When the average person is sent to a maxillofacial surgeon, it’s because their tooth extraction is too complicated for an oral surgeon or their problem involves other areas of the face (rather than just their teeth!)
Continue reading to learn how your West Valley/Reseda oral surgeon is ready to take on your complex dental issues.
Maxillofacial Surgery as a Specialty
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMS) work as specialists in the dental industry. Their main focus is on the teeth and jaws, including the bones and soft tissues surrounding them. This means that they need both a medical and dental background to be successful.
The maxilla is the facial bone that forms the upper jaw. The term maxillofacial comes from Latin roots where “maxillo” refers to the jawbone. “Maxillofacial” refers to the jawbone and the face.
When oral problems that cause pain and prevent the normal function of the mouth arise, it’s likely that you will be sent to an oral surgeon in Los Angeles with a maxillofacial surgery background. These surgeons are equipped to correct these problems while both relieving pain and resolving jaw dysfunction.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Procedures
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons go through more training than oral surgeons. In addition to a four-year undergraduate degree and four years of dental school (where students become DDS or DMD), aspiring oral and maxillofacial surgeons go through an additional four or more years in a hospital-based residency program where they learn the tools of the trade.
During their residency, OMS receive training on:
- Providing anesthesia
- Removing teeth
- Performing surgeries
- Removing tumors
- Rebuilding faces
This additional training allows them to work on more areas of the face… And it is so much more than simple tooth extractions.
What started as treating military personnel with complex facial traumas, quickly evolved into what we see today. A Reseda oral surgeon (with a maxillofacial background) deals with pathological issues, including:
- Cancer of the head and neck
- Birth defects/congenital deformities
- Bone grafting (preceding jaw/dental work)
- Abnormalities in facial bone structure
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons administer anesthesia and perform surgical procedures to help their patients get relief from issues, including:
- Nasal cavity abnormalities
- Facial trauma (broken bones and facial disfiguration)
- Abnormal growths in the head, neck, and mouth
- Bite abnormalities
- Chronic facial pain
- Cleft lip and cleft palate
- Dental implants involving fused bones
- Complex tooth extractions
Commonly performed OMS procedures include:
- Corrective jaw surgery
- Reconstructive surgery
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery
- Pre-implant bone grafting
- Diagnosis and treatment of cancers
The same technology that assists with dental implants can place supports for prosthetics including:
- Ears
- Noses
- Eyes
- Eyebrows
This is where maxillofacial surgery becomes cosmetic. These procedures can be:
- Reconstructive (following a trauma)
- Elective (voluntarily having procedures)
OMS professionals can alter facial profiles, reshape noses, and even remove unwanted facial tissue.
West Valley Oral Surgeon
Your Reseda area oral surgeon, SynergyOMS, can extract wisdom teeth and install dental implants. However, because we are oral and maxillofacial surgeons, we can do so much more! We can handle facial trauma, TMJ disorder, and oral pathology problems.
Contact SynergyOMS today for more information on maxillofacial surgery.
