Also known as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, a dental surgeon is someone who treats dental and medical problems involving the oral cavity and the maxillofacial area. The maxillofacial area of the body includes the bones of the forehead, face, cheekbones and the soft tissues.
Treatment often involves performing surgery and related procedures to treat diseases, defects, or injuries, and to improve function or appearance.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons often meet with patients who are referred from their general dentist or primary care doctor after a diagnosis has been made.
Most think of oral and maxillofacial surgery as a dental specialty, but the type of work needed is usually much more intricate and complex than what a general dentist does. An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is really a combination of both a dentist and a medical doctor – many oral and maxillofacial surgeons have degrees in both dentistry and medicine.
There are several dental and medical conditions that may require surgery, such as:
A facial and oral abnormality could not only interfere with someone’s ability to function normally, it can affect every part of their life. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons have the skills necessary to restore a person’s function and appearance, but foremost, a person’s ability to live normally.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons work for hospitals, large medical centres and dental practices. Advancement opportunities may include working as a professor at a dental school or supervising residents in training. In addition to working for a dental practice or healthcare facility, many oral and maxillofacial surgeons open up their own practices.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons often work very long hours. Surgery within the oral cavity and maxillofacial area is often very intricate and complex. Oral surgeons may also need to be on call for emergencies that require immediate treatment.
A person working in Surgery in Kenya typically earns around KSH422,000 per month. Salaries range from KSH142,000 (lowest average) to KSH656,000 (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
The overall job outlook for Oral or Maxillofacial Surgeon careers has been relatively unchanged since 2004. Demand is expected to rise in the near future.
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 courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics and English.
A prospective oral and maxillofacial surgeon will also have to earn a good score on the Dental Admission Test. Depending on the program, dental school takes anywhere from three to five years to complete, after which students will have to get into a highly competitive oral and maxillofacial residency program.
