Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

Oral & Maxillofacial surgeons

specialise in treatment of the mouth, face and jaws. (‘Maxillo’ comes from maxilla, the major bone of the upper jaw.) There is a wide range of procedures. Dentoalveolar surgery (to the teeth and bone that surrounds it) includes: removing and transplanting teeth; inserting dental implants; soft tissue or bone grafting; apicectomy (root tip removal); pericision or fibrotomy (detachment of the fibres that attach the tooth to the bone via the gum); and frenectomy (removal of tissue). Orthognathic surgery treats conditions of the face and jaws related to structure and growth, temporomandibular (

TMJ

) joint (the jaw joint); malocclusions (improper bites) or other

orthodontic

problems.

Maxillofacial

surgery includes treating trauma (injuries) such as broken teeth and jaws, and tissue trauma. It also treats a range of other disorders, including of the soft tissues and salivary glands.