Face and Neck Surgery at Mission Hospital

Oral and maxillofacial surgery encompasses a wide range of procedures for patients with injuries, developmental deformities or disease affecting the head and neck area.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons repair:

• facial lacerations and fractures
• reconstruct malformed or damaged jaw structures
• remove lesions
• treat jaw dysfunction
• reconstruct areas of missing teeth with dental implants
• perform surgical extraction of teeth

Oral and maxillofacial surgeries performed at Mission Hospital include:

Treatment for injury or trauma. Facial lacerations are repaired, working in conjunction with plastic surgeons and ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeons when needed. With facial fractures, oral and maxillofacial surgeons use state-of-the-art plating systems to hold bones in position while they heal. Metal plating systems are beginning to be replaced by newer technology-resorbable plating systems that dissolve after the bones have healed.

Temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) surgery. The temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) hinges the lower jaw, or mandible, to the temporal bone of the skull. This joint is in motion any time a person eats, drinks or talks. The patient can have a congenital or acquired deformity within this joint-causing functional loss, clicks, pops, chronic facial pain, headaches and ear problems. TMJ surgery can be an effective treatment for these patients and is generally performed after medication, physical therapy and splint therapy have proved ineffective. There are several TMJ surgical procedures:

• Arthroscopy, a minimally invasive technique that uses a scope through a small incision to diagnose, inspect and repair the tissue within the joint

• Open joint surgery, called open arthroplasty, which involves an incision in front of the ear to expose the joint so its anatomical function can be surgically improved.

• Adjustment of the facial skeleton to make corrections in temporal mandibular joint complex. Involves osteotomy-cutting into a bone-and changing the structure of the bone using synthetic materials and bone grafting to establish normal bone architecture.

Dental implants. Most surgeries related to dental implants are handled in the offices of oral and maxillofacial surgeons. However, in cases where the patient has lost teeth and the lower jaw has been injured or has become atrophic and won't support implants, a transmandibular reconstruction plate is implanted to rehabilitate the lower jaw. These procedures are done under general anesthesia within a hospital operating room.

Reconstructive surgery. Cancer surgeries, injuries and other issues can result in loss of facial skeleton. In these cases, the facial skeleton is reconstructed using osteotomy, bone grafting and implants.

Correction of facial skeleton deformity. Osteotomy is performed to move facial skeleton and dentition into more normal relationships to improve speech and ability to chew, help reduce facial pain and headaches, and address sleep apnea.

Routine ambulatory procedures. Surgical extraction of teeth, biopsies, most implants, and other routine oral and maxillofacial procedures are generally done in the offices of individual physicians, not at Mission Hospital.

Contact & Referral Information
Talk with your primary care provider about surgical options that are best for your circumstances.  If you find the need for surgery, ask for a referral to one of the surgeons on medical staff at Mission Hospital.