Infinite cornucopia: The future of education and training in oral and maxillofacial surgery

To What Extent is Each Area of Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery Practiced in the United States Today?

Musings of Chairs

Oral and facial surgery has been practised in some form for millennia. Hippocrates himself has described reducing jaw dislocations, and Sushtra was performing reconstructive local facial flaps in India as early as sixth century BC. The modern practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) can be traced back to the battlefields of northern Europe in the early twentieth century. Industrialized warfare produced horrific facial injuries that were treated by frontline oral surgeons, and so the specialty of OMFS, as a crossover between medicine and dentistry, developed. It became evi­dent that both medical and dental education was necessary in order to manage increasingly complex facial surgery that was being undertaken. It can be argued that OMFS has evolved to be a truly general surgical specialty, manipulating the hard and soft tissues of the head and neck and having the skills to operate on neurovascular, glandular, and airway struc­tures. There is variable exposure to OMFS during dental undergraduate education and scarce exposure during medical undergraduate training. Opportunities for postgraduate training in OMFS for dentists who are not entertaining a career in the discipline are also limited. Knowledge of the scope of OMFS practice is a bare minimum for any practising dentist, as this can inform the limits of their individual competency, as well as ensure a safe transfer of care for their patients. The questions in this section are there to target the most commonly tested and encountered aspects of OMFS for most junior dentists, focusing on oral surgery, oral pathology, management of the medically compromised patient, and trauma of the facial skeleton. OMFS is an enormously satisfying endeavour and is recommended to all junior dentists. It can form a granite-like foundation of skills upon which to build a career in clinical dentistry. Key topics include: ● Trauma ● Oral surgery and exodontia ● Oral pathology ● Orthognathic surgery ● Temporomandibular joint surgery ● Cleft lip/ palate repair ● Craniofacial surgery ● Salivary disease ● Head and neck oncology and microvascular reconstruction ● Skin cancer ● Facial aesthetics.

David Stanley Precious (1944-2015)

The International Association of oral and maxillofacial Surgeons (IAOMS) is committed to quality patient care. The education of oral and maxillofacial surgeons has, however, been in constant evolution ever since the inception of this speciality; and this state of flux reflects the dynamic expansion of its scope. Oral surgery has a unique relationship with medicine and dentistry as it straddles both professions. To understand this dynamic expansion, it is pertinent to review the present scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Today an oral and maxillofacial surgeon’s training includes management of trauma, surgical reconstruction of acquired and developmental deformities, temporomandibular joint surgery, dentoalveolar surgery, preprosthetic surgery including implants, management of odontogenic infections, management of oral pathology, and administration of general anaesthesia and sedation. The oral and maxillofacial surgeon routinely treats patients with systemic diseases such as acute and chronic alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, neurological problems, as well as drug abusers. The new requirement for oral and maxillofacial surgery training programmes is 48 months with rotations in anaesthesia, medicine and surgery, and a minimum of 30 months in the oral and maxillofacial surgery service. Eighteen months of off-service rotations, most or all of which are taken at an intern or resident level instead of medical student or clerk level, give oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) residents high quality medical education. Their rotation in general surgery and surgical sub-specialties result in a broad exposure to the concepts and principles of surgery beyond that provided by the oral and maxillofacial surgery rotation. It is the dental education that differentiates oral and maxillofacial surgeons from other surgical specialties; therefore, formal dental education culminating in a D.D.S or D.M.D. degree is strongly encouraged. It is most desirable that this formal dental education be complemented by formal medical education culminating in a medical degree. [Jnl College of Medicine Vol.7(1) 2002: 27-29]

Are Women Adequately Represented in Leadership Roles in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery? A 10-year Retrospective Evaluation of Society Leadership and Journal Editorial Boards

The Importance of Being Walter

University of Michigan Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Training Program

Instagram as a Marketing Tool for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residencies: Overcoming Resident Recruitment Challenges in the Year of COVID-19

Research is an integral part of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) residency training. This study aimed to identify the current barriers perceived by OMS residents toward conducting research during training. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted. The survey was distributed to 670 OMS residents across the United States in 2021 and consisted of questions regarding demographics, residency program requirements and resources, and perceived barriers to research. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and post hoc Dunn's test with a statistical significance of P<0.05. The response rate was 24.2%. Most participants' programs had a minimum research requirement to complete a residency (80%). The top three reported barriers to completing research were lack of time (84%), limited access to research mentors or supervisors (37%), and lack of access to biostatistical support (31%). Factors associated with these barriers included the lack of a research director, supervisor, mentor, assistant, or statistician. There was no significant difference between residents in programs with protected research time versus those without. OMS residents generally viewed research experience during residency as beneficial but reported important barriers, most notably: insufficient time. Although most OMS training programs in the US require research for completion, many do not provide adequate time to facilitate this process. Compared with literature from over a decade ago, it appears little progress has been made to remedy similar barriers to research. Addressing this deficiency may increase the quantity and quality of research, furthering the profession.

We are happy to continue adopting the best global publishing experience and traditions into the new year of 2022. To start off, we are honored to adopt the progressive tradition held by Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS) journal. As a phenomenal journal with more than 75 years of publishing developments, PRS serves as a trailblazer for the Journal of Diagnostics and Treatment of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. The PRS Editorial Board founded the Resident Ambassador position in 2014 after an unofficial Resident Advisory Board (RAB) meeting of four residents at the 2013 Annual Meeting.2 And now after 7 years, the PRS and PRS Global RAB includes more than 70 members across the world with six PRS and PRS Global Open Resident Ambassadors.2 The RAB serves both PRS and their daughter journal – Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open (PRS Global Open). The key missions for the members of the RAB are to participate in three of five activities: (1) the PRS journal club on Facebook, (2) the PRS Grand Rounds (a multipronged and multitopic live lectures with question-and-answer series)2 via Facebook, (3) creation of PRS promoting videos on their own social media pages, (4) supporting PRS and PRS Global Open as a peer-reviewers, and (5) voting on the journal’s social media pages. The search for a true leader to take on the role as the Founding Resident Ambassador for the Journal of Diagnostics and Treatment of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology was an uneasy task. After an extensive search, we are honored to start a collaboration with an oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) resident from the state of Alabama in the United States of America. John M. Le, DDS, MD and his colleagues in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have made a serious impact on global oral and maxillofacial surgery specialty. Moreover, their article contribution to our journal in 2020 made a huge influence by attracting an international community of readers to our journal, making us enormously proud. The masterpiece was dedicated to the use of zygomatic implants for restoration of complex nasal defects. Thereby, the current academic achievements and research activities of Dr. Le serves as a model for other OMS residents in training. In general, his clinical interests include, but is not limited to head, neck and oral oncology and reconstructive surgery.

Acronym Acrimony

Legislation for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) in the UK lags behind the patient care we provide: an illustrative timeline and recommendations for the future.

Factors Associated With the Mental Health and Satisfaction of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residents in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study and Analysis

Executive MBA (EMBA) Degree–Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Certificate Integrated Program at the University of Rochester: A Pathway to Earn a Specialized Finance Degree During Residency Training