You need to have your wisdom teeth removed. Or perhaps you’re considering dental implants. You start your research and quickly encounter a confusing array of titles: Dentist, Oral Surgeon, Maxillofacial Surgeon, OMS, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon. It’s easy to assume they’re all the same, or that the differences are minor.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The distinction between a general dentist and an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon is one of the most profound in all of healthcare. It is the difference between a primary care physician and a brain surgeon. Understanding this distinction is the single most important step you can take to ensure you are receiving the highest level of care for complex procedures involving your mouth, jaws, and face.
This guide will serve as your definitive resource. We will demystify the titles, unpack the monumental training journey, and illuminate the vast scope of problems these unique specialists are trained to solve.
Section 1: The Terminology Demystified – It’s More Than Semantics
Let’s clear the confusion immediately:
- “Oral Surgeon” is the common, shorthand term for the full, formal title: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS). In the United States, a qualified specialist using either title has undergone the same rigorous, hospital-based surgical residency.
- The title itself is a map of their expertise:
- ORAL: Pertaining to the mouth. This includes teeth, gums, and the supporting bone.
- MAXILLOFACIAL: Pertaining to the jaws and the face. This includes the upper jaw (maxilla), lower jaw (mandible), cheeks, chin, sinuses, and temporomandibular joints (TMJ).
Therefore, an OMS is a specialist whose domain is the entire complex structure of the face, from the chin to the eyebrows, with a deep focus on the functional and aesthetic interplay of all its components.
Section 2: The Training Gauntlet – Forging a Surgical Specialist
The path to becoming an OMS is one of the longest and most demanding in medicine. This is not “dentistry with extra training.” It is a distinct surgical specialty.
- Undergraduate & Dental School (4 + 4 Years): Like all dentists, they complete a bachelor’s degree and four years of dental school to earn a DDS or DMD. They often graduate at the top of their class.
- Hospital-Based Residency (4-6 Years): This is where the paths diverge drastically. They enter a multi-year, intensive residency in a hospital. This is not an observership; they are primary surgeons. Their training includes:
- General Surgery & Anesthesiology: They spend months rotating through these departments, learning to manage medically complex patients and administer all forms of anesthesia, including deep IV sedation and general anesthesia. This is a critical differentiator: your OMS is also your board-certified anesthesiologist for your procedure.
- Internal Medicine & Emergency Medicine: They learn to manage systemic health issues that can impact surgery.
- Plastic Surgery, Otolaryngology (ENT), & Trauma Surgery: They gain direct experience in the surgical management of the head and neck.
- The Dual-Degree Option (MD): Many of our surgeons at Atlanta Oral and Facial Surgery choose to pursue an additional Medical Degree (MD) during their residency. This is the pinnacle of training in the field, providing an even deeper understanding of whole-body physiology and disease. This makes them uniquely qualified to handle patients with significant medical comorbidities.
- Board Certification: After residency, the surgeon must pass a rigorous series of written and oral examinations to become a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS). This is a voluntary achievement that signifies the highest level of competence and commitment to the specialty.
Section 3: The Scope of Practice – From Routine to Revolutionary
So, what does this immense training allow an OMS to do that others cannot?
- Dentoalveolar Surgery: This is the removal of teeth, including complex, impacted wisdom teeth, and the preparation of the jaw for dental implants.
- Dental Implantology: The surgical placement of single, multiple, and full-arch dental implants. This includes complex bone and soft tissue grafting to rebuild lost anatomy.
- Orthognathic (Corrective Jaw) Surgery: Repositioning the entire jaw structure to correct misalignments that affect chewing, speech, breathing (treating sleep apnea), and facial aesthetics.
- Facial Trauma: The emergency room management and surgical repair of complex fractures of the jaw, cheekbones, eye sockets, and nose.
- Pathology: Diagnosis and treatment (surgical removal) of cysts, tumors, and cancerous lesions of the oral and facial regions.
- Facial Cosmetic Surgery: Procedures to enhance facial aesthetics, such as chin augmentation, cheek enhancement, and rhinoplasty.
- TMJ Disorders: Surgical and non-surgical management of painful and debilitating temporomandibular joint disorders.
Conclusion: The Assurance of Expertise
When you choose an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon from our practice, you are not just choosing a technician to pull a tooth. You are choosing a highly-trained surgical specialist who views your procedure through a dual lens of medicine and dentistry. You are choosing an expert in anesthesia, a master of complex anatomy, and a professional dedicated to the highest standards of safety and outcomes.
For procedures beyond a simple filling or cleaning, this expertise is not a luxury—it is a necessity.
Your Face Deserves a Specialist, Not a Generalist.
Now that you understand the profound difference, make an informed choice. Trust your care to the dual-degree, board-certified surgeons at Atlanta Oral and Facial Surgery, where expertise is our standard.
Experience the Confidence of World-Class Surgical Care. Watch Our Practice Video Tour to Meet Our Surgeons, Then Book Your Consultation Online with the Area’s Top Specialists.
