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Informational Topics for Patients
These pages are placed to serve as general information of a generic quality on the particular topic areas. They should not be construed as advice to patients or a substitute for an office visit and clinical examination by a qualified oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Patients are encouraged to seek opinions in person from licensed, Board-certified or -eligible oral and maxillofacial surgeons on any suspected problem, included any mentioned in these topics.
WHAT is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon?
Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) is one of nine recognized (by the American Dental Association and others) specialty areas in dentistry. An oral and maxillofacial surgeon provides diagnostic services and prophylactic, therapeutic, functional and esthetic surgical treatment for acquired and developmental conditions of the mouth, teeth, jaws, face, and adjacent structures of the craniofacial region.
The scope of each oral and maxillofacial surgeon's practice varies from office to office and doctor to doctor. All oral surgeons do not extensively manage all types of case, and prefer to sub-specialize or emphasize certain areas in their practices. For example, patients with some type of nerve injury, patients with chronic pain syndromes and TMJ problems, and patients with extensive cancers, might be referred to other oral and maxillofacial surgeons who subspecialize in managing those types of problems. Some oral and maxillofacial surgeons electively restrict themselves to an office-based practice setting, and cannot and do not admit patients to the hospital. It is
WHAT kinds of cases do you treat at Baylor OMS?
There are four different oral and maxillofacial surgery department clinics at Baylor College of Dentistry. Between them, they can manage virtually the entire scope of oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures, at one clinic level or another. For a better understanding of the structure and organization of the clinics, go to the Clinics web page.
WHAT are wisdom teeth, and why was I told they need to come out?
As most people grow older, they eventually develop a total of 32 adult teeth, which replace “baby” teeth as they are lost. Unfortunately, sometimes, people with large teeth and/or small jaws do not have enough room in their jawbones to allow all 32 teeth to come in. Read more about wisdom teeth ...
WHAT is ”Orthognathic Surgery” and how could it help me?
Many people go through their lives with jaws that don’t come together properly. The upper jaw extends beyond their lower jaw or their lower jaw extends out beyond the upper. Read more about how Orthognathic Surgery can help ...
WHAT do I need to know about dental implants?
WHAT do I need to know about facial cosmetic surgery?
HOW can I be sure my oral surgeon is competent?
We can safely say that 99.9% of all practicing, licensed oral and maxillofacial surgeons are skilled, knowledgeable, and competent. However, there are some key questions you can ask to assure that you have the ethical, competent provider you expected: Ask if the doctor belongs to the American Dental Association and its component local organizations (such as the Dallas County Dental Society). Members are pledged to ethical, honest treatment and there is a peer-review committee assigned to mediate complaints from patients. It's like having your own Better Business Bureau for dentists. Ask if the doctor is a diplomat of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. This is a rigorous peer review process that assures a high level of competency in surgical specialists. Ask how much experience the doctor has doing the particular type of procedure you are considering, and how long he/she has been doing that procedure. Ask if they would mind you seeking a second opinion from another oral surgeon, to assure that the proposed procedure is indeed the best approach. Reputable surgeons will have no qualms about having you seek another opinion and often will even recommend someone for you to see. Ask if the doctor completed an American Dental Association-accredited oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program (most are 3-7 years in length, depending on when and where they were taken)? There are some doctors unscrupulously claiming to be "oral surgeons" on the basis of a one year clinical experience or some assorted continuing education courses. Such individuals should be considered with great caution!
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