From the name Oral Surgery itself, it is understood it deals with surgical procedures. There are some points in your life when your dentist refers you to an Oral Surgeon when you have to extract your tooth, do bone grafting, do jaw advancement surgeries, get dental implants or any other surgical procedures. Well, this article will give you a glimpse of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery and help you to decide whether a career as an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon is a better profession for you or not.
Maxillofacial Surgeons, better known as Oral surgeons is a hospital trained dentists who have specialised in Oral Surgery. How does an Oral Surgeon differ from a Dentist? What are the responsibilities of being an Oral Surgeon? To answer all such questions, continue reading the following article.
What is Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?
Most of the time, people get confused about dentistry and Oral Surgery. Dentistry is a medical discipline that deals with issues related to the oral cavity. A person who practices dentistry is known as a Dentist, and Dentists can perform minor surgeries such as extraction and incision of small abscesses. Maxillofacial surgery is a particular type of dentistry. It involves operations to correct diseases, injuries and defects of your face, jaw or mouth.
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But an Oral Surgeon is a dentist who is specialised in the field of Oral Surgery and can perform complex surgeries. Oral Surgery studies include trans-alveolar extraction, jaw fractures, midface fracture, TMJ alkalosis and dislocation, jaw cysts, dental implants, and tumours.
How to Become an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon?
Most oral and maxillofacial surgeons start their education process with a bachelor’s degree, though technically, these surgeons only need to complete the prerequisites required by dental school. These vary but usually include general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics, and English courses.
Depending on the program, the dental school takes three to five years to complete. Students will have to get into a highly competitive oral and maxillofacial residency program. A prospective oral and maxillofacial surgeon will also have to earn a good score on the Dental Admission Test. These surgeons should also plan on obtaining certification through the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, which is the standard in this field. To maintain board certification, there are ongoing recertification and continuing education requirements. Continuing education is crucial because the purview of the profession is evolving. For instance, in years past, treating sleep apnea wasn’t really in the scope of an oral and maxillofacial surgeon; now, Rafetto says it is.
What’s the difference between oral surgery and maxillofacial surgery?
Maxillofacial surgeons are oral surgeons are the same thing. Training involves oral and maxillofacial surgery, but some surgeons limit their practice to oral and office-based procedures, while others prefer more hospital-based approaches.
What are the skills and qualities required to become a/an Maxillofacial Surgeon?
Here, we have provided below a list of Maxillofacial Surgeon skills. Aspiring candidates must acquire these skills to get a Maxillofacial Surgeon job and progress in their careers.
- Organising Skills: A Maxillofacial Surgeon must possess organising skills. They have to perform multiple tasks, provide consultation to various patients, and course of medication for post-recovery of surgery.
- Physical Stamina: A Maxillofacial Surgeon is required to stand for hours while performing surgery. They must be physically fit to perform such surgeries actively to avoid mismanagement.
- Manual Dexterity: A Maxillofacial Surgeon must possess good hand-eye coordination, excellent vision and visual-spatial awareness to perform surgeries.
- Communication Skills: A Maxillofacial Surgeon must communicate effectively with the medical team, including surgical assistants, anaesthetists and other professionals. A Maxillofacial Surgeon has to describe the treatment procedure to patients and or their family members.
What are the Jobs of an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon?
Some of the essential jobs related to Oral and Maxillofacial surgery are listed below:
- Supervisory and administrative duties
- Removal of teeth related issues.
- Perform Orthognathic surgery related to Human jaw surgery.
- Facial reconstruction after an accident.
- Removal of tumours and cysts.
- Perform for suspicious tissue to remove the chances of oral cancers
Various Oral Surgery Courses in India
To work as an Oral Surgeon or make a career in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, one may earn a degree by following Oral Surgery Courses.
| Course Name | Eligibility Criteria | Duration |
| MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | After Bachelor of Dental Surgery (B.D.S.) | 3 Years |
| PhD in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | Post Graduation | 3 Years |
| Certificate Courses in Oral Surgery | Higher Secondary | 3 Months |
| Post Graduate Diploma in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | Graduation | 2 Years |
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Jobs in India?
Since an Oral Surgeon is one of the primary doctor’s lists, Oral Surgeons are in huge demand. Those who love to keep their lives busy can work both as lecturers and Surgeons. Those who love the teaching profession can work as lecturers at universities and colleges pursuing Oral Surgery.
Many governments and private hospitals and clinics offer jobs for Oral surgeons. One can start their clinics or work as a Surgeon partner with another skilled Oral Surgeon. An Oral Surgeon can work as a
- Doctor
- Dental Surgeon
- Dental Service Chief
- Head of Surgery
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS)
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon – Practice Owner
- Surgeon Partner
- Senior Associate
- Resident Physician
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon Salary in India
Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon Salary in India ranges from ₹ 0.3 Lakhs to ₹ 28.8 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 6.0 Lakhs. Salary estimates are based on 58 salaries received from Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons.
| Salary Type | Range |
| Lowest Salary | 50k – 1 Lakh |
| Average Salary | 6 LPA |
| Highest Salary | 30 LPA |
Top Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Colleges in India
Some of the best colleges in India offering Careers in Oral Surgery are as follows:
Best Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Colleges in India
| College Name | College Link |
| SGT Dental College Hospital & Research Institute Gurgaon | Click here |
| Manav Rachna Dental College Faridabad | Click here |
| Santosh Dental College & Hospital Ghaziabad | Click here |
| Subharti Dental College Meerut | Click here |
| Institute of Dental Studies and Technologies Modinagar | Click here |
| Divya Jyoti College of Dental Sciences & Research Modinagar | Click here |
| ITS Centre For Dental Studies & Research Ghaziabad | Click here |
| Sharda School of Dental Science Greater Noida | Click here |
Frequency Asked Question (FAQs)
Jaw surgery is generally safe when done by an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon, often collaborating with an orthodontist. Risks of surgery may include Blood loss, Infection.
The average salary for an Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon in India is 6 Lakhs per year (₹50.0k per month). Salary estimates are based on 58 salaries received from various Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons across industries.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are dental specialists who treat conditions, defects, injuries and esthetic aspects of the mouth, teeth, jaws and face. Their training involves a four-year graduate degree in dentistry and completing a minimum four-year hospital surgical residency program.
Oral maxillofacial surgeons are oral surgeons, but they have undergone additional training to address more complex dental and medical issues. Dentists and oral surgeons often refer a patient to an oral maxillofacial surgeon when dental or facial trauma is involved.
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oral and maxillofacial surgery
oral and maxillofacial surgery