Surgical endodontics is the conservation of root treated teeth through surgical assistance. This happens most frequently following a failed endodontic treatment of a tooth or as a part of a planned procedure to retain compromised dead teeth in the mouth.
These procedures are best advised for front teeth, but are also recommended for back teeth with a slightly less success rate. The objective of the treatment is to eradicate infected tissue around the roots of root treated teeth and to be able to restore the integrity of the supporting tissues of a tooth or teeth with chronic pulpal or periapical disease, where nonsurgical endodontics has failed and re-treatment cannot be undertaken or is contraindicated. The principal objectiveof surgical endodontics is to enhance the lifespan of the tooth by removing causes of chronic periapical or periradicular inflammation. This is achieved by creating an effective seal of the root surface and thereby eradicating noxious substances present within the root canal of a tooth. The principal procedure is the Apicectomy, but root sectioning, amputation, closure of lateral perforations, retrieval of foreign body and intentional reimplantion are some of the other options.

Surgical endodontics is the conservation of root treated teeth through surgical assistance. This happens most frequently following a failed endodontic treatment of a tooth or as a part of a planned procedure to retain compromised dead teeth in the mouth.
These procedures are best advised for front teeth, but are also recommended for back teeth with a slightly less success rate. The objective of the treatment is to eradicate infected tissue around the roots of root treated teeth and to be able to restore the integrity of the supporting tissues of a tooth or teeth with chronic pulpal or periapical disease, where nonsurgical endodontics has failed and re-treatment cannot be undertaken or is contraindicated. The principal objectiveof surgical endodontics is to enhance the lifespan of the tooth by removing causes of chronic periapical or periradicular inflammation. This is achieved by creating an effective seal of the root surface and thereby eradicating noxious substances present within the root canal of a tooth. The principal procedure is the Apicectomy, but root sectioning, amputation, closure of lateral perforations, retrieval of foreign body and intentional reimplantion are some of the other options.

This highly skilled branch of surgery deals with the correction of facial bony defects. There are many procedures to correct common and rare facial discrepancies of the lower, middle and upper face.

These defects are mostly acquired as a result of growth disorders of the facial and jaw bones. They may be combined with or without dental defects and usually require the combined skills of an Orthodontist and OMFS. Patients requiring orthognathic surgery may present with difficulty in chewing and biting food, difficulty in swallowing, and speech problems, chronic jaw joint pain, excessive wearing of teeth which may be as a result of jaw disturbances like a protruding lower jaw or a bird's face, gummy smile, protruded upper teeth, open bite, inability to bring lips together without effort, sleep apnea etc.

The procedures allows for moving facial bones in various planes to either shorten or lengthen the face, to reduce or augment the chin or cheek bones, to move the lower jaw forwards or backwards, and the lower jaw downwards, upwards or forwards etc. These procedures are only undertaken after months of planning and evaluation using various tools like prediction studies, simulated surgery at specialised centers. These procedure can also be used to correct craniofacial defects.

The results are highly rewarding and can transform individual faces tremendously depending upon the degree of the deformity.

Jaw joints lie in front of the ears; we use these joints for chewing of food, and every time we open our mouth as in talking, yawning etc. These specialized joints between the jaw bone and the head therefore are exposed to extreme use and are subject to tremendous forces of biting. Any damage to these joints as a result of trauma as in a fall and blow to the chin, or stretching as in a yawn or awkward bite, to degenerative age related changes, infections, arthritis interferes with the normal functions of the mouth and can be a source of pain and discomfort.

Jaw joint disorders need careful evaluation and proper treatment, mostly they will settle with conservative measures including some rest, soft diet, occasionally physical therapy and medication. Management of a jaw joint disorder has been a much debated issue of the specialty, although some cases are clearly indicative of surgical intervention, others not so much. Here the minimal invasive techniques of endoscopic surgery have been a fairly welcome addition. Gladly options have become available to provide relief to the most extreme examples of destructive joints by joint replacments.

Mouth cancer is a common cancer for many areas of the world and many advances have taken place in our understanding and the management of this dreadful disease.

Although commonly attributed to the use of tobacco, betel nut and alcohol, mouth cancer and its precancerous form of Oral Submucous Fibrosis is presenting increasingly in younger and younger patients. We do not as yet have a cure for this disease which is largely preventable, but the OMFS discipline is trained to evaluate and provide the best possible management plan.

As a first step towards prevention and early detection, people are encouraged to perform self examination by looking and feeling the inside the lips and the front of gums, to inspect and feel the roof of your mouth and the inside of the cheek and the tongue and feel for lumps or enlarged lymph nodes (glands) in both sides of the neck including under the lower jaw. When performing an oral cancer self-examination, look for white or red patches, a sore that fails to heal and bleeds easily, an abnormal lump or thickening of the tissues of the mouth, chronic sore throat or hoarseness, difficulty in chewing or swallowing.

Surgery remains one of the main types of treatment available for mouth cancer. Treatment of oral cancer is only undertaken by OMFS and other surgeons with additional training in oral surgical oncology.

Apart from cosmetic procedures for the correction of physical malformations resulting from disease or injury and birth defects a growing number of men and women of all ages are choosing facial cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance and reduce the signs of aging. Facial cosmetic surgery may refine, enhance or rejuvenate your appearance, the results are variable depending lots of factors and need to be thoroughly evaluated and discussed before proceeding with surgery. Because of their surgical and dental background, oral and maxillofacial surgeons are uniquely qualified to perform cosmetic procedures that involve the functional and aesthetic aspects of the face, mouth, teeth and jaws. Extensive education and training in surgical procedures involving soft tissue (skin and muscle) and hard tissue (bone and cartilage) finely attune the oral and maxillofacial surgeon to the need for harmony between facial appearance and function. Your OMFS may be able to offer you procedures including Cheekbone Augmentation, Chin Surgery, Eyelid Surgery, Facelift, Facial and Neck Liposuction, Forehead/Brow Lift Lip Enhancement, Nasal Reconstruction (Rhinoplasty), Botox® Injections, Chemical Peel, Dermabrasion, Laser Injectable Fillers (Restylane®, Collagen, etc.)

Snoring and sleep apnea are two different, the former more of a social problem and the later a more distressing medical issue also referred to as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Unlike simple snoring, OSA is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires medical attention. The risks of undiagnosed OSA include heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart disease and decreased libido. In addition, OSA causes daytime drowsiness that can result in accidents, lost productivity and interpersonal relationship problems. The symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe. The cessation of breathing, or "apnea," brought about by these factors initiates’ impulses from the brain to awaken the person just enough to restart the breathing process. This cycle repeats itself many times during the night and may result in sleep deprivation and a number of health-related problems. Sleep apnea is generally defined as the presence of more than 30 apneas during a seven hour sleep. In severe cases, periods of not breathing may last for as long as 60 to 90 seconds and may recur up to 500 times a night. Surgical intervention may be a viable alternative for some OSA patients; however, it is important to keep in mind that no surgical procedure is universally successful.

This highly specialised aspect of the OMFS repertoire is the corrective and reconstructive aspect following trauma or tumour surgery. Here the surgeon aims to reconstruct by using tissued mobilised from various parts of the body to develop soft and bonny tissue defects and restore integrity of the moth, face, nose and jaws.

This is useful following cancer surgery, when jaw bones need to be put together or after trauma, accidents specially gunshot injuries.

Dental implants are metallic devices shaped in the form of screws and made of titanium with a surface coating allowing the bone cells to grow inside the micro defects and holding the implant once inserted in the bone. They are used as an ideal means to replace missing teeth, but can also aid in retaining dentures, appliances and facial prosthesis.

Your OMFS are suitably trained to deliver with proper education, training and planning.

Management of facial trauma is a huge aspect and takes over almost a major chunk of a practicing OMF Surgeon. Facial injuries can be limited to soft tissues or involve underlying bones with fractures of the jaw bones, nose, cheek bone, mid face, upper face etc. These injuries become complex as they involve the eye, nasal cavity, mouth, effect speech, feeding and breathing. The treatment of these issues can range from very simple to complex procedures requiring highly skilled work