--- title: "Who is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon?" id: "12545" type: "post" slug: "who-is-an-oral-and-maxillofacial-surgeon" published_at: "2022-05-21T09:58:41+00:00" modified_at: "2022-05-21T09:58:41+00:00" url: "https://royalimplant.com/blogs/who-is-an-oral-and-maxillofacial-surgeon/" markdown_url: "https://royalimplant.com/blogs/who-is-an-oral-and-maxillofacial-surgeon.md" excerpt: "‍Oral and maxillofacial surgeon is someone who specialises in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and injuries of the mouth, jaw, face, and oral and maxillofacial region. If you think that this sounds a lot like dentist, you are..." taxonomy_category: - "Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Dental Implant" - "Dr Chirag Chamria" - "Royal Dental Clinics" - "royal implant" - "SAPTeeth" --- Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery # Who is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon? Royal Dental Clinics · Patient education 6 minutes read [Request a consultation →](#enquire) [Call the clinic](tel:+919820446633) ‍Oral and [maxillofacial surgeon](http://chiragchamria.com) is someone who specialises in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and injuries of the mouth, jaw, face, and oral and maxillofacial region. If you think that this sounds a lot like dentist, you are right. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are essentially more than a dentist. They have expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting these regions of the body. Most specialists complete either an internship or residency program to become board-certified in their field. [Get In Touch](https://royalimplant.com/reach/) [Call Now](tel:+919820012621) Maxillofacial surgery is a special type of dentistry. It involves operations to correct diseases, injuries and defects of your face, jaw or mouth. Maxillofacial surgeons are advanced specialists who diagnose and treat problems with: Bones and tissues of your jaw and lower face (zygoma area). ### **Who is this Article For?** This article is for patients who want to understand what an oral and maxillofacial surgeon does and when they may need to consult one. This blog explains that an oral and maxillofacial surgeon diagnoses and treats diseases, injuries, and defects of the mouth, jaw, face, and oral-maxillofacial region. ### **What does an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon do?** The daily responsibilities of an oral and maxillofacial surgeon can vary significantly from one person to the next. Depending on their specialty and the setting in which they work. However, there are a number of general themes that can inform the daily life of an OMFS. 1. **Diagnosing and Treating Dental Diseases**: As a dentist, the single most important task you’ll perform is the diagnosis and treatment of dental diseases. While many people associate oral and maxillofacial surgeons with dental problems, most are actually involved in treating diseases and injuries to the jaws, face, and oral region, such as cleft palates, facial trauma, tumors, or cysts. 2. **[Oral](http://cosmognathic.com)**[Surgery](http://cosmognathic.com) : While most OMFS focus on diagnosis and treatment, some are trained to perform surgery. As with other specialties, the type of surgery performed by an OMFS varies by specialty. For example, oral surgeons often focus on the removal of cancers and other lesions that affect the oral cavity. 3. **Dental****Education**: Many OMFS work as educators, teaching future practitioners in medical or dental schools. ### **How to become an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon?** If you are interested in a career as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. You will first need to earn a [degree in dentistry.](https://chiragchamria.com/oral-surgery-in-mumbai-dr-chirag-chamria-oral-surgeon/) After you’ve acquired a bachelor’s degree, you will need to complete a dental school program. There are a handful of OMFS programs in the United States. Only about half of these programs accept students each year. Once you’ve completed general dentistry training, you will need to complete an OMFS-specific residency or an OMFS-focused internship. The length of these programs will vary based on your specific training. Generally, you can expect to spend anywhere from 2-6 years in training. [Get In Touch](https://royalimplant.com/reach/) [Call Now](tel:+919820012621) ### **Job prospects for Oral Surgeon** The job outlook for oral and maxillofacial surgeons is generally positive, with a projected job growth of 6% between 2016 and 2026. This is slower than the average growth rate for most occupations, but it still means that there will be plenty of job opportunities for new OMFS graduates. As with any occupation, there are some factors that can affect the job outlook for OMFS, including the location in which you work and your specific specialty. Overall, however, there are plenty of job opportunities for OMFS in the United States. Dr. Chamria says an incredible thing that if you are able to face such difficulties and work through it, there is nothing better than that. Medical or Dental as a career will see far superior technological advancements and will grow further on in the coming years as people will need good doctors and infrastructure to maintain such healthcare services in India. Since an Oral Surgeon is a one among the primary doctor’s list, Oral Surgeons are in huge demand. Those who love the teaching profession can work as a lecturer at universities and colleges pursuing Oral Surgery and those who love to keep their life always busy can work both as lecturer and Surgeon. ### **Certification for OMFS** As with most other medical specialties, oral and maxillofacial surgeons must earn certification in order to practice. To become board-certified, you will need to complete an OMFS residency program and pass several exams. The first exam is the Comprehensive Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Board Exam. This exam is offered once per year, usually in the fall, and must be taken in the United States. After passing this exam, you must complete one year of clinical practice and then take the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Certification Maintenance Exam. In order to maintain your certification, you will need to complete 80 hours of continuing education per year. This can be in any area, so long as it is relevant to OMFS. ### **Conclusion** Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are dentists who specialize in treating disease and injury to the mouth, jaw, face, and oral region. Although the majority of oral and maxillofacial surgeons work in a dental office, some also work in an outpatient surgical center or a hospital. If you’re interested in a career as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, you will first need to earn a degree in dentistry. After you’ve acquired a bachelor’s degree, you will need to complete a dental school program. While there are a handful of OMFS programs in the United States, only about half of these programs accept students each year. Once you’ve completed general dentistry training, you will need to complete an OMFS-specific residency or an OMFS-focused internship. This will generally take 2-6 years to complete. [Get In Touch](https://royalimplant.com/reach/) [Call Now](tel:+919820012621) ### **FAQs** **1. What does an oral and maxillofacial surgeon do?** An oral and maxillofacial surgeon diagnoses and treats conditions related to the mouth, jaw, face, facial bones, and surrounding structures. Their work may include oral surgery, jaw surgery, facial trauma care, cyst or tumour treatment, wisdom tooth removal, and complex dental implant planning. ### 2. When should I consult an oral and maxillofacial surgeon? You may need to consult an oral and maxillofacial surgeon if you have jaw pain, facial injury, impacted wisdom teeth, jaw deformity, oral cysts, tumours, facial swelling, difficulty opening the mouth, or complex dental implant needs. ### 3. Is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon different from a dentist? Yes, a dentist usually manages general dental care such as cavities, gum care, cleaning, fillings, and routine treatment. An oral and maxillofacial surgeon has additional surgical training to manage more complex conditions of the mouth, jaw, and face. ### 4. Can an oral and maxillofacial surgeon place dental implants? Yes, oral and maxillofacial surgeons often manage complex dental implant cases, especially when there is bone loss, full-mouth rehabilitation, zygomatic implants, facial bone concerns, or surgical planning involved. ### 5. Are oral and maxillofacial surgeries painful? Most procedures are performed under local anaesthesia, sedation, or other suitable anaesthesia options depending on the case. Patients may feel some swelling or discomfort after surgery, but this is usually managed with medicines and post-treatment care instructions. ### 6. What should I expect during a consultation? During consultation, the surgeon may examine your mouth, jaw, face, bite, medical history, and X-rays or scans. Based on the diagnosis, they will explain the condition, treatment options, risks, recovery, and expected outcome. Topics: [Dental Implant](https://royalimplant.com/blogs/tag/dental-implant/) , [Dr Chirag Chamria](https://royalimplant.com/blogs/tag/dr-chirag-chamria/) , [Royal Dental Clinics](https://royalimplant.com/blogs/tag/royal-dental-clinics/) , [royal implant](https://royalimplant.com/blogs/tag/royal-implant/) , [SAPTeeth](https://royalimplant.com/blogs/tag/sapteeth/) A clear first step ## Understand your options. ₹1,500 Consultation and treatment planning. Confirm investigations with the coordinator. [Request an appointment](#enquire) [Online consultation](https://royalimplant.com/online-dental-consultation/) [Contact and directions](https://royalimplant.com/reach/) Start with a conversation ## Let’s understand what you need. Tell us your concern and preferred centre. Our coordinator will help arrange the next step. **Mumbai**[+91 98204 46633](tel:+919820446633) **Jaipur**[+91 96944 46633](tel:+919694446633)