Maxillofacial surgery : Specialists

What does maxillofacial mean?

Maxillofacial refers to the face and upper jaw. This includes diseases of the face, neck, jaw, head and mouth. This term is often described as ‘oral and maxillofacial’ and means surgery performed on the face, mouth and jaws by specialist dentists or surgeons.

What is a maxillofacial surgeon?

This is a highly trained and experienced professional in the fields of medicine and dentistry. Many maxillofacial surgeons work in conjunction with other specialists such as neurosurgeons and orthodontists.

What does a maxillofacial surgeon do?

This type of surgeon will treat a wide range of conditions from tooth extraction through to facial fractures and mouth cancer. They also undertake denture preparation, perform bone grafts for dental implants and treat birth defects such as a cleft palate.

He or she will also undertake the following:

  • Temporomandibular joint surgery (TMJ)
  • Facial reconstruction
  • Craniofacial surgery
  • Cosmetic surgery, e.g. rhinoplasty
  • Removal of cysts
  • Repair a hare lip
  • Remove impacted teeth
  • Removal of a cancerous growth from the mouth, head or neck
  • Laser surgery to treat a facial blemish
  • Treat sleep apnoea
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