Maxillofacial surgery
What is Maxillofacial surgery?
Maxillofacial surgery refers to the medical specialty dedicated to the study, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of problems related to the anatomical structures of the face, skull, head, and neck, the oral cavity, maxilla and teeth. It is a specialty focused on surgery and the most common or well-known treatments are wisdom teeth surgeries and orthognathic surgery, which aims to better position the jaw and/or maxilla.
What’s the difference between a maxillofacial surgeon and a dentist?
The difference between a maxillofacial surgeon and a dentist is that the former, in addition to studying dentistry, has pursued a 4-year specialty that involves mostly clinical practice in hospitals. Thus, specialists in maxillofacial surgery have training that combines dental knowledge and surgical knowledge in the head and neck area; facial reconstructive surgery and oncology; dental and facial abnormalities and aesthetics; pathology of salivary glands, the jaw joint, and tooth eruption; maxillary bone reconstruction, and dental implant rehabilitation.
¿Why and when to choose a maxillofacial surgeon for third molars (wisdom teeth)?
Although many general dentists can perform third molar surgeries, maxillofacial surgeons are the experts in this area, as many of these teeth are very close to an important nerve that gives sensitivity and movement ability to the mouth and especially the lower lip. Some of the advantages we can find in having this procedure done by maxillofacial surgeons include shorter surgery times and reduced risk of complications. In case a complication arises, the surgeons will know how to best resolve it and offer better healing and scarring evolution.
When is Maxillofacial or Orthognathic Surgery necessary?
Maxillofacial or Orthognathic Surgery is necessary to resolve functional and aesthetic problems caused by facial skeleton deformities that cause an incorrect position and contact between teeth. Oftentimes, orthodontics does not offer an effective solution to these problems, this is when maxillofacial surgery is needed.
In this way, maxillofacial or orthognathic surgery provides a solution, in many cases, to people with “malocclusion” problems (a poor placement of our teeth that does not allow the dentition to fit correctly), as well as a poor position or imbalance in terms of the size of the upper jaw and the jawbone, which can cause an imbalance in the facial appearance.
Therefore, the main goal of maxillofacial surgery is to achieve good occlusal stability to obtain optimal buccofacial function and aesthetics for the patient.
What procedures do we offer in this field?
- Wisdom tooth surgeries.
- Implant surgeries.
- Bone regeneration.
- Maxillary sinus lift.
- Orthognathic surgery.
- Cyst removal.
- Temporomandibular joint problems.
- Cheek reduction.
- Among others.
