Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (GP information)
Introduction
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) is a surgical speciality dealing with diseases and conditions of the face, mouth, neck and jaws, as well as structures related to those areas e.g. the salivary glands etc. Management of this region requires extensive knowledge of oral medicine and surgery, general medicine and maxillofacial pathology.
Oral & Maxillofacial surgeons are unique as they are dually qualified with both medical and dental degrees plus post-graduate qualifications in surgery. Oral & Maxillofacial surgeons are uniquely trained to treat conditions such as head and neck cancer, facial disproportion or deformity, facial trauma, salivary gland disease, jaw joint disorders, facial skin cancers, facial aesthetics and all conditions affecting the mouth, teeth and jaws.
The L&D has eight Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, including one Consultant Oral Surgeon and two Consultant Orthodontists working within a network covering Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and part of Buckinghamshire as well as Junior and Senior Doctors and Dentists in training. The L&D is the centre for OMFS covering in-patients and emergencies for Bedford Hospital, Milton Keynes Hospital, Lister Hospital in Stevenage and the QEII Hospital in Welwyn. All eight surgeons have sub-speciality interests and expertise, as well as managing general oral & maxillofacial conditions. All OMFS surgeons and oral surgeons treat complex dentoalevolar and oral medicine conditions.
Referral Process
E-RS referral only.
2 week wait in suspected cancer.
Procedures Provided
- Complex oral surgical procedures/ dentoalveolar surgery under local or general anaesthetics
- Surgical repair of fractures of facial bones and facial laceratons
- Management of acute cervico-facial infections
- Orthognathic surgery on patients with facial disproportion, managed in conjunction with consultant orthodontist
- Diagnosis and surgical treatment of mouth cancers, including complex facial reconstructions, as part of head and neck cancer multidisciplinary team
- Surgery of the temporomandibular joints
- Salivary gland surgery, including minimally invasive sialoendoscopic procedures
- Surgical treatment of facial skin malignancies and reconstructions
- Oral rehabilitation and placement of dental implants in patients after mouth cancer surgery
- Oral medicine/ oral mucosal diseases
Clinics
Clinics are available all day, Monday to Thursday and Friday mornings.
Patient Information Leaflets
Clinicians - Consultants/Specialist Nurses
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Useful Contacts
pals@bedfordhospital.nhs.uk
01582 718061
Derek.Vonarx@ldh.nhs.uk
PALS@ldh.nhs.uk