Oral / Maxillofacial Surgeon

Perform surgery and related procedures on the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions to treat diseases, injuries, or defects. May diagnose problems of the oral and maxillofacial regions. May perform surgery to improve function or appearance.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: DDS (Dental Surgery Doctor); Maxillofacial Surgeon; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Resident; Oral Surgeon; Surgeon

Tasks

• Administer general and local anesthetics.
• Remove impacted, damaged, and non-restorable teeth.
• Evaluate the position of the wisdom teeth to determine whether problems exist currently or might occur in the future.
• Treat infections of the oral cavity, salivary glands, jaws, and neck.
• Collaborate with other professionals, such as restorative dentists and orthodontists, to plan treatment.
• Perform surgery to prepare the mouth for dental implants and to aid in the regeneration of deficient bone and gum tissues.
• Remove tumors and other abnormal growths of the oral and facial regions, using surgical instruments.
• Provide emergency treatment of facial injuries including facial lacerations, intra-oral lacerations, and fractured facial bones.
• Treat problems affecting the oral mucosa, such as mouth ulcers and infections.
• Restore form and function by moving skin, bone, nerves, and other tissues from other parts of the body to reconstruct the jaws and face.
• Perform surgery on the mouth and jaws to treat conditions such as cleft lip, cleft palate, and jaw growth problems.
• Evaluate and treat problems related to the temperomandibular joint (TMJ).

Knowledge

• Medicine and Dentistry
• Biology
• Education and Training
• Customer and Personal Service
• English Language
• Administration and Management
• Personnel and Human Resources
• Psychology
• Administrative
• Economics and Accounting
• Computers and Electronics
• Sales and Marketing
• Mathematics
• Chemistry
• Therapy and Counseling

Skills

• Critical Thinking
• Reading Comprehension
• Active Listening
• Writing
• Speaking
• Monitoring
• Active Learning
• Science

Abilities

• Arm-Hand Steadiness
• Finger Dexterity
• Inductive Reasoning
• Near Vision
• Oral Comprehension
• Written Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Written Expression
• Problem Sensitivity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Information Ordering
• Manual Dexterity
• Control Precision
• Selective Attention
• Speech Clarity
• Speech Recognition
• Category Flexibility
• Flexibility of Closure
• Fluency of Ideas
• Visualization
• Multilimb Coordination
• Originality
• Perceptual Speed
• Visual Color Discrimination