Re: Oral Surgeon vs. Maxillofacial Surgeon

[Guest guest]

Actually, OS in this forum refers to Orthognathic Surgeon...at least that's what

I thought. But I guess we do need to clarify that. You make a VERY valid point

here.

Smooches

Oral Surgeon vs. Maxillofacial

Surgeon

With all the posts that refer to OS or Oral Surgeon, I wonder if

newcomers to the board realize they don't just want an Oral Surgeon,

they want and need a Maxillofacial Surgeon to do this work. My

impression of an oral surgeon is one who does a lot of extractions

and work around the teeth, while a maxillofacial surgeon works with

the entire jaw structure and facial reconstruction and has more

advanced training in this area. Am I mistaken, or are all

maxillofacial surgeons capable of oral surgery, but not visa versa?

Dammit

[Guest guest]

I dunno whether all maxillofacial guys can do both. I do know I got

the best of both worlds, because my guy and his partners are all oral

and maxillofacial surgeons.

Some people have also been quite satisfied with plastic surgeons. I

am very pleased with the route I took.

Cammie

> With all the posts that refer to OS or Oral Surgeon, I wonder if

> newcomers to the board realize they don't just want an Oral

Surgeon,

> they want and need a Maxillofacial Surgeon to do this work. My

> impression of an oral surgeon is one who does a lot of extractions

> and work around the teeth, while a maxillofacial surgeon works with

> the entire jaw structure and facial reconstruction and has more

> advanced training in this area. Am I mistaken, or are all

> maxillofacial surgeons capable of oral surgery, but not visa versa?

>

> Dammit

[Guest guest]

Actually oral and maxillofacial surgeons are one and the same. The

full name is oral maxillofacial surgeons sometimes abbreviated as

OMF surgeons as well. They have gone to dental school (here in the

US get a DDS or DMD degree) and then did residencies to specialize

in oral maxillofacial surgery. Some OMF surgeons may additionally

specialize in orthognathic surgery exclusively while others may

specialize in TMJ surgery and others do neither (and may just do

extractions, root canals, etc). A few of the surgeons in the

practice I go to have gone to medical as well dental school and

therefore have M.D. and D.D.S. degrees.

To make things more confusing, some (but not all) plastic surgeons

also do jaw surgeries. Plastic surgeons have gone through medical

school (M.D. in the US), then a general surgery residency followed

by a plastic surgery fellowship. In addition some ENT's (ear, nose

and throat surgeons or otolaryngologists) may also do jaw surgeries

(but I've only seen that with trauma cases where patients have

multiple facial fractures).

(a simple M.D. specializing in Emergency Medicine)

> > With all the posts that refer to OS or Oral Surgeon, I wonder if

> > newcomers to the board realize they don't just want an Oral

> Surgeon,

> > they want and need a Maxillofacial Surgeon to do this work. My

> > impression of an oral surgeon is one who does a lot of

extractions

> > and work around the teeth, while a maxillofacial surgeon works

with

> > the entire jaw structure and facial reconstruction and has more

> > advanced training in this area. Am I mistaken, or are all

> > maxillofacial surgeons capable of oral surgery, but not visa

versa?

> >

> > Dammit

[Guest guest]

I stand corrected! Thanks!!! :-)

Dammit

> > > With all the posts that refer to OS or Oral Surgeon, I wonder

if

> > > newcomers to the board realize they don't just want an Oral

> > Surgeon,

> > > they want and need a Maxillofacial Surgeon to do this work. My

> > > impression of an oral surgeon is one who does a lot of

> extractions

> > > and work around the teeth, while a maxillofacial surgeon works

> with

> > > the entire jaw structure and facial reconstruction and has more

> > > advanced training in this area. Am I mistaken, or are all

> > > maxillofacial surgeons capable of oral surgery, but not visa

> versa?

> > >

> > > Dammit

[Guest guest]

A simple MD? Lol.

I went in after surgery 2 (middle of sars crisis and my hospital was

affected so..) I went to an emerg to get the doctors there to check

my stitches, they were all really interested but said honestly they

had very little personal dealings with mouth surgery or what healing

tissues looked like. They said the mouth is a unique place

But the doctor was cute so...

I was just worried as my scarring second time was very WHITE and my

grooves deep. And this surgery gets you paraniod sometimes.

Shiloh

> > > > With all the posts that refer to OS or Oral Surgeon, I

wonder

> if

> > > > newcomers to the board realize they don't just want an Oral

> > > Surgeon,

> > > > they want and need a Maxillofacial Surgeon to do this work.

My

> > > > impression of an oral surgeon is one who does a lot of

> > extractions

> > > > and work around the teeth, while a maxillofacial surgeon

works

> > with

> > > > the entire jaw structure and facial reconstruction and has

more

> > > > advanced training in this area. Am I mistaken, or are all

> > > > maxillofacial surgeons capable of oral surgery, but not visa

> > versa?

> > > >

> > > > Dammit

[Guest guest]

And just to complicate things more, we've had one who is a D.M.D.,

and an M.D.

Isn't a D.M.D. the functional equivalent of a D.D.S.??? Heavens, you

guys speak a special kind of lingo that can be mighty confusing to

the simple layperson!

C.

> Actually oral and maxillofacial surgeons are one and the same. The

> full name is oral maxillofacial surgeons sometimes abbreviated as

> OMF surgeons as well. They have gone to dental school (here in the

> US get a DDS or DMD degree) and then did residencies to specialize

> in oral maxillofacial surgery. Some OMF surgeons may additionally

> specialize in orthognathic surgery exclusively while others may

> specialize in TMJ surgery and others do neither (and may just do

> extractions, root canals, etc). A few of the surgeons in the

> practice I go to have gone to medical as well dental school and

> therefore have M.D. and D.D.S. degrees.

>

> To make things more confusing, some (but not all) plastic surgeons

> also do jaw surgeries. Plastic surgeons have gone through medical

> school (M.D. in the US), then a general surgery residency followed

> by a plastic surgery fellowship. In addition some ENT's (ear, nose

> and throat surgeons or otolaryngologists) may also do jaw surgeries

> (but I've only seen that with trauma cases where patients have

> multiple facial fractures).

>

> (a simple M.D. specializing in Emergency Medicine)

>

>

[Guest guest]

> And just to complicate things more, we've had one who is a D.M.D.,

> and an M.D.

>

> Isn't a D.M.D. the functional equivalent of a D.D.S.???

I could be wrong here but I thought a D.M.D. was an osteopath.

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

I could be wrong, too, but I don't think so, Cheryl.

There are not many osteopaths around here, but there are lots of

D.M.D.s. Best I've been able to figure out, it all depends on where

they go to school. Some dental schools give D.M.D.s (meaning Doctor

of Dental Medicine) and some give D.D.S.es. (Doctor of Dental

Surgery.)

Curiously enough, my surgeon is a D.M.D. My husband's is an M.D. and

a D.M.D. But another who has a large practice in Mobile is an M.D.

and a D.D.S. Go figure.

Cammie

> > And just to complicate things more, we've had one who is a

D.M.D.,

> > and an M.D.

> >

> > Isn't a D.M.D. the functional equivalent of a D.D.S.???

>

>

> I could be wrong here but I thought a D.M.D. was an osteopath.

>

> Cheryl

[Guest guest]

I could be wrong, too, but I don't think so, Cheryl.

There are not many osteopaths around here, but there are lots of

D.M.D.s. Best I've been able to figure out, it all depends on where

they go to school. Some dental schools give D.M.D.s (meaning Doctor

of Dental Medicine) and some give D.D.S.es. (Doctor of Dental

Surgery.)

Curiously enough, my surgeon is a D.M.D. My husband's is an M.D. and

a D.M.D. But another who has a large practice in Mobile is an M.D.

and a D.D.S. Go figure.

Cammie

> > And just to complicate things more, we've had one who is a

D.M.D.,

> > and an M.D.

> >

> > Isn't a D.M.D. the functional equivalent of a D.D.S.???

>

>

> I could be wrong here but I thought a D.M.D. was an osteopath.

>

> Cheryl

[Guest guest]

I could be wrong, too, but I don't think so, Cheryl.

There are not many osteopaths around here, but there are lots of

D.M.D.s. Best I've been able to figure out, it all depends on where

they go to school. Some dental schools give D.M.D.s (meaning Doctor

of Dental Medicine) and some give D.D.S.es. (Doctor of Dental

Surgery.)

Curiously enough, my surgeon is a D.M.D. My husband's is an M.D. and

a D.M.D. But another who has a large practice in Mobile is an M.D.

and a D.D.S. Go figure.

Cammie

> > And just to complicate things more, we've had one who is a

D.M.D.,

> > and an M.D.

> >

> > Isn't a D.M.D. the functional equivalent of a D.D.S.???

>

>

> I could be wrong here but I thought a D.M.D. was an osteopath.

>

> Cheryl

[Guest guest]

> > > And just to complicate things more, we've had one who is a

> D.M.D.,

> > > and an M.D.

> > >

> > > Isn't a D.M.D. the functional equivalent of a D.D.S.???

> >

> >

> > I could be wrong here but I thought a D.M.D. was an osteopath.

> >

> > Cheryl

[Guest guest]

I'm absolutely with you on that one, Cheryl!

Cammie

>

> So long as they know their stuff I don't care what they call

> themselves. You're right, as usual, osteopaths are D.O's.