Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) is a branch of clinical dental medicine that diagnoses and treats diseases of intraoral organs, such as the teeth, gum, intraoral mucosa, tongue, and of the upper and lower jaws. It is responsible for the surgical treatment of the jaw and face.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery treats diseases in the jaw and face, such as trauma, anomalies, tumors, and acute and/or chronic infections (abscess) of the jaw and face, cleft lip and palate, temporomandibular joint disorders, and the diseases of the salivary glands and intraoral mucosa. The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Chonnam National University Hospital, operates several specialized clinics that include the Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic for patients with congenital cleft lip and cleft palate; the Oral Cancer Clinic, the Clinic of Maxillofacial Anomalies that treats congenital and/or acquired deformities in the jaw and face; the Implant Clinic that installs an artificial tooth in the edentulous alveolar ridge; and the Temporomandibular Disorder Clinic.
Fields of Treatment
- Maxillofacial Anomaly: We surgically treat facial deformations (protruded or retruded jaw, facial asymmetry) due to dental malocclusion or abnormal relationship of facial bone.
- Maxillofacial Tumors and Cysts: We diagnose and treat benign and malignant tumors and cysts that occur in the intraoral organs, such as the jaw, gum, and tongue, and in neighboring tissues.
- Maxillofacial Reconstruction: We surgically restore the lost portion of bone and soft tissue in the jaw and face due to trauma or benign/malignant tumors.
- Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate: This is one of the most common congenital maxillofacial deformities that brings about an unaesthetic appearance as well as dysfunctions, such as masticatory and speech dysfunctions, due to abnormal dentition. Therefore, we lead the treatment of cleft lip and palate deformities in cooperation with pedodontists, ENT doctors, and orthodontists.
- Pretreatment for Prosthodontic Treatments and Implant Installations: In order for a denture to settle properly in the mouth and function properly, plastic surgery of the jaw bone and/or gum may be necessary. We perform such surgeries as well as implant installation.
- Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: We diagnosis and treat, in cooperation with the Department of Oral Medicine, the diseases of temporomandibular joint (the jaw joint).
- Facial Trauma: When facial bones (upper and lower jaws, malar bones) and/or soft tissue become defective due to accidents, we treat the traumatic damage, considering both aesthetic and functional (mastication, mouth-opening, etc.) aspects.
- Maxillofacial Infection: Inflammation initiated in teeth or jaw bones may cause various infectious diseases such as osteomyelitis and abscesses that accompany severe pain and swelling, which we treat here in the department.
- Tooth Extraction: We perform simple extractions and surgical extractions of the third molar (a wisdom tooth), supernumerary teeth, and impacted teeth.
- Salivary Gland Diseases: There are three major salivary glands (the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual gland) in the facial area and various minor glands throughout the sub-mucosal areas inside the mouth. We treat the diseases that occur in those salivary glands, such as lithiases, inflammation, benign lesions, and malignancies.
Relevant web site
Oral & maxilofacial surgery homepage
[Hakdong] Outpatient Clinic - Tel : +82-62-220-5439 / Hospital Staff - Tel : +82-62-220-5436, Fax : +82-62-220-5437
[Yongbongdong] Outpatient Clinic - Tel : +82-62-530-5610 / Hospital Staff - Tel : +82-62-530-5618, Fax : +82-62-530-5619