John Zuniga, D.M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
UT Southwestern Medical Center
6263 Harry Hines Blvd.
4th Floor, Suite 110
Dallas, TX 75390-9193
214-645-3999
Dr. Zuniga's page at UT Southwestern
Transcript: Role of oral and maxillofacial surgeons
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a specialty of dentistry. In the oral and maxillofacial surgeon, in the contemporary training is an individual who is post DDS or DMD trained. Beyond that they spend a total of four to six year of training. There are over 100 training programs in the United States. About 40% of those training programs offer training in both a six year program in which an individual obtains an MD as well as fulfills the minimum requirements for training in experience to become certified in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The remaining programs, the other 60% are four year based programs in where an individual is provided the minimum standard requirements for obtaining training toward certification of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Upon completion of that training, most individuals will receive board certification in their specialty. That is a very intense well designed instrument in where individuals are able to fulfill written and oral evaluations towards that board certification.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a specialty of dentistry. Usually provides services for pathologies or problems, generally above the clavicle, it’s fair to say. With a specialty in the area of the mouth and surrounding and adjacent tissues and structures. That includes trauma, reconstructive surgery, craniofacial surgery, as well as dental implantologies and pain. In the area of pain, especially in the face, oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained to evaluate and treat dental problems including dentoalveolar problems, infections, benign tumors, and in some cases malignant tumors, as well as temporomandibular disorders and it’s related pain and problems, and neurosensory or neuralgia type of problems. It is this later discipline or problem area in where the oral and maxillofacial surgeon does play a role in providing diagnosis and sometimes treatment for facial pain problems including trigeminal neuralgia and neuropathic pain conditions.