Oral and maxillofacial surgery refers to procedures performed by dental specialists who treat conditions, defects, injuries and aesthetic aspects of the mouth, teeth, jaws and face. Their training involves the completion of a minimum four-year hospital surgical residency program after dental school.

Oral surgeons care for patients who experience conditions such as problems with wisdom teeth, facial pain and misaligned jaws. They treat accident victims suffering from facial injuries, perform reconstructive and dental implant surgery, and care for patients with tumors or cysts of the jaws and functional and aesthetic conditions of the maxillofacial areas.

When you hear the words “oral surgery,” you may think of a hospital setting, general anaesthesia, and one or more days in recovery from this type of dental procedure. Because of that, you might be surprised to learn what is actually considered oral surgery in dentistry.

Many dental procedures performed in a general dental office are considered oral surgery and patients who require such procedures are booked for it without the inconvenience of being put on a waiting list in a different office for treatment.