WHAT IS AN ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEON?

Truly one of the most poorly understood professions, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons have done a poor job of promoting and providing public awareness of our profession. (J Oral and Maxillofac Surg 74:1109-1110, 2016). The basic definition is that we provide “comprehensive surgical care and treatment of the face, jaws, mouth and teeth.” We are the highest trained and most comprehensively trained in all aspects of dental surgery – moreso than any other dental specialty; and we have the highest medical and general surgical training of any of the dental specialties. Most of us have advanced training in head and neck surgery with overlaps to areas of otolaryngology, facial plastic surgery, and panfacial trauma. We are the highest trained as it relates to dental implants and related surgeries. We are arguably the highest trained subspecialty in anesthesiology. These statements are not cockiness or egocentrism. It is just the truth and I’m proud of it.
If there is a shortcoming in this, it is that the specialty may be so broad that one needs to limit their practice to certain areas of subspecialty in order to “have a life”. I absolutely love being an OMS. I look back on the path to being here and I am so grateful to God and so grateful to so many people who have supported, trained, guided, and loved me through this journey. My specialty is planning a media outreach to do just that – explain and define what it is that we are and do. I hope that campaign is informational and helpful.  

If you have questions, call Wagner Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists at (262) 634-4646 to learn more.