Maxillofacial surgery: what a maxillofacial surgeon does

A specialty between two worlds

Many people arrive searching for "maxillofacial surgery" without really knowing what it includes. It's the specialty devoted to surgery of the mouth, the jaws and the face. In Chile, a maxillofacial surgeon is a dental surgeon who has completed specialty training in oral and maxillofacial surgery and traumatology, much of it in hospitals. That's why they work where dentistry and medicine meet, and often as a team with both.

From the mouth to the face

Part of the specialty happens inside the mouth: complex extractions, such as wisdom teeth, gum and bone surgery, and implants, with the grafts they sometimes need. Another part goes further: treating facial fractures, studying and operating on cysts and lesions of the jaws, and problems of the jaw joint, which can cause pain, noises or a jaw that locks.

When the face grew differently

The area I focus on is treating differences in how the face grows and develops, which the specialty calls dentofacial deformities. This is where orthognathic surgery belongs: it brings the jaws and, when appropriate, the chin into a harmonious position, along with its uses in sleep apnea, asymmetries and the jaw joint. It's surgery of the structure of the face, designed for function and beauty at the same time.

When to seek a consultation

It's worth seeing a maxillofacial surgeon when something in your mouth or face isn't working well or doesn't fit: a bite that doesn't close, pain or noises in the jaw joint, snoring or sleep that doesn't leave you rested, a face that looks different on one side, or a recommendation from your dentist or your orthodontist. Often the first step is simply understanding what's going on.