When you think about plastic surgery, the first things that come to mind are probably nose jobs, breast lifts, or tummy tucks. While those surgeries are indeed commonplace and popular among patients, there is another type of cosmetic surgery that has been steadily growing in popularity: oral and maxillofacial surgery. If you’re not familiar with this procedure, also known as OMFS or Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for short, it can be a bit confusing at first glance. What exactly does “oral” have to do with your jawbone? And why would anyone need “facial surgery” on their nose or cheeks? In truth, the name of this procedure doesn’t really explain much at all—which is precisely why so many people get confused when they hear it for the first time.
What is Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?
Oral surgeons are medical doctors who specialize in surgery of the head and face. They can treat everything from oral health problems like tooth decay or gingivitis, to facial trauma such as fractures or burns. OMFS is a combination of dental work, facial plastic surgery, and head and neck surgery—and it’s all done by one surgeon! A typical oral max surgery will involve removing teeth and/or gums, correcting jaw misalignment, or even reconfiguring the facial bones.
Ways a maxillofacial surgeon can achieve goals:
Removing teeth and grafting the gums. When a patient’s teeth are too decayed to save, or if they have gum disease, the oral max surgeon will remove them. They can either extract them completely and replace them with false teeth, or simply remove the diseased gums and leave the teeth in place.
Temporarily removing a section of jawbone and repositioning it. Jaw misalignment, also known as TMJ, is a common condition affecting millions of people. Oral max surgery can realign the jaw bone, correcting the problem and relieving the associated pain.
Reconfiguring the facial bones. If a patient has a birth defect resulting in facial deformities, oral max surgery can help correct the issue. This can involve removing excess facial bone, shaving down other parts of the face, or even transplanting bone from another part of the patient’s body.
Why is OMFS becoming popular?
When cosmetic surgery first came into the mainstream in the 1990s, most people associated it with nose jobs and breast augmentations. This was largely due to the fact that these procedures were the most popular types of cosmetic surgery at the time—and they remain so to this day. In recent years, however, the number of people getting oral max surgery has been steadily rising.
This is largely due to the fact that there are now a number of other procedures that can be done through oral max surgery. A few decades ago, it was pretty much limited to dental procedures. These days, though, you can get a variety of facial fixes performed through oral surgery.
Steps to Getting Your Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
If you’ve decided that oral max surgery is right for you and you want to get started with the process, here are the steps you’ll want to follow. Choose a surgeon. The first step in getting your OMFS is, of course, finding a surgeon to perform the procedure. There are hundreds of surgeons in your area, so you’ll want to narrow down your options as much as possible. One way to do this is to look for surgeons who are certified by the American Society of Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASOMFS).
Prepare for surgery. Before getting your OMFS, you’ll likely have to undergo a few pre-surgery procedures. These can include X-rays, CT scans, blood tests, and even psychological evaluation.
Recover from surgery. Once you go under the knife, you’ll have to recover from your oral max surgery. This process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the procedure you got done.
2 Steps Before Your OMFS
As you can see, the process of getting oral max surgery is a lengthy one. If you want to get started as soon as possible, you’ll want to start preparing yourself well in advance. Here are a few things you should do as soon as you decide on oral max surgery. Start taking care of your teeth. If your oral health is in poor condition, your surgeon may recommend some dental procedures before the OMFS.
This is why it’s important to brush and floss regularly, as well as go for dentist checkups. Start researching surgeons. As soon as you decide to get maxillofacial surgery, it’s important to start looking for a surgeon. You don’t want to wait until you’re ready to go under the knife to start looking, because it could delay your procedure. Get in shape (if applicable). If you’re getting a jaw realignment procedure or a bone graft, you’ll need to make sure you’re in good physical shape. Otherwise, you may not have enough healthy bone to use during the procedure.
First Step after OMFS
Once you go through the process of getting oral max surgery, you’ll want to make sure you properly recover from the procedure. At first, you’ll likely have a lot of swelling and discomfort, followed by a slow healing process. Here are a few things to keep in mind throughout the process.
Rest. Getting oral max surgery is a major procedure that requires a lot of recovery time. You can’t rush through the healing process and expect to heal properly. You need rest and proper nutrition to recover well.
Avoid stressing yourself. This may sound counterintuitive, but it’s important to avoid stressing yourself out after oral max surgery. The healing process is already difficult, so don’t make it harder by adding stress to the equation. Avoid strenuous activity, and take things easy until you’re fully healed.
Take care of your wound. Once you get your OMFS, you’ll have a wound that needs proper care. This wound is your body’s way of healing the incisions and closing them up, so you want to make sure you treat it properly. Your surgeon will likely give you instructions on how to care for your wound.
