“Maxillofacial” refers to jaws and face and is not the same as “oral,” which indicates the mouth. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons specialize in treating conditions, injuries, esthetic aspects, and the defects of the jaws, teeth, mouth, and face.
Maxillofacial surgeons receive rigorous dental training for four years to attain a graduate degree in dentistry and also complete an intensive surgical residency program for a minimum of four years.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons provide treatment for dental patients who experience dental issues such as problem wisdom teeth, misaligned jaws, and facial pain. They also treat accident victims having facial injuries, care for patients with cysts or tumors of the jaws, treat aesthetic and functional conditions of the maxillofacial areas, and offer dental implant and reconstructive surgery.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons And Major Procedures
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are competent and experienced in undertaking many dental procedures, including:
- Dentoalveolar surgery: for complex tooth extractions and impacted teeth of medically compromised patients; pre-prosthetic surgery or bone grafting to create improved anatomy while placing dentures and other dental prostheses
- Diagnosis and treatment of benign cysts and tumors
- Diagnosis and treatment of malignant pathology such as oral, head, and neck cancer
- Surgery to insert bone-fused dental implants
- Evaluation and treatment of congenital craniofacial malformation: including palate and cranial vault malformations that involve craniofacial surgery, and cleft lip
- Evaluation and treatment of continual facial pain disorders
- Evaluation and treatment of TMJ or temporomandibular joint disorders
- Evaluation and treatment of incorrect bite and orthognathic or straight bite reconstructive surgery
- Diagnosis and treatment of hard and soft tissue trauma of the oral and maxillofacial region – cheekbone fractures, jaw fractures, skull fractures, nasal fractures, and eye socket fractures
Dr. Steven Paul MD, DDS, with over 20 years in the dental industry, is highly skilled in surgically correcting oral deformities and the facial structures around the oral cavity like the neck, head, and jaw.
A highly experienced Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Steven Paul also offers services for dental implants, TMJ disorders, sleep apnea, oral cancer, jaw defects, impacted wisdom teeth, and tooth/bone loss in dental offices located in Murrieta and Temecula, CA and Henderson, NV. He is also affiliated with the Mountainview Hospital.
