Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons: Career Overview
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.
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What Tasks Do Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Take On?
Typical responsibilities of oral and maxillofacial surgeons cover:
- Administer general and local anesthetics.
- Collaborate with other professionals, such as restorative dentists and orthodontists, to plan treatment.
- Evaluate the position of the wisdom teeth to determine whether problems exist currently or might occur in the future.
- Perform surgery to prepare the mouth for dental implants and to aid in the regeneration of deficient bone and gum tissues.
- Remove impacted, damaged, and non-restorable teeth.
- Treat infections of the oral cavity, salivary glands, jaws, and neck.
- 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.
What Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Need to Know
Successful oral and maxillofacial surgeons combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Dental Surgeon
- Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
- Maxillofacial Surgeon
- Oral Surgeon
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS)
- Surgeon
Job Outlook
There are roughly 1,718,243 oral and maxillofacial surgeons working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +13.9% over the projection horizon.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $39,627 |
| Hourly median | $19.05 |
| 10th percentile | $25,345 |
| 25th percentile | $32,486 |
| 75th percentile | $46,768 |
| 90th percentile | $53,909 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Which Industries Hire Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
The bulk of oral and maxillofacial surgeons are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 5,290 | n/a |
| Educational Services | 40 | $71,180 |
Below are examples of industries where oral and maxillofacial surgeons work:
Software Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Use
- Development environment software: Ada
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Apteryx Imaging Suite
- Medical software: DecisionBase TiME for OMS
- Graphics or photo imaging software: DentalEye
- Medical software: Dolphin Imaging & Management Solutions Dolphin Management
- Medical software: DSN Software Oral Surgery-Exec
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Gendex Dental Systems VixWin PRO
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Kodak Dental Systems Kodak Cosmetic Imaging Module
- Operating system software: Operating system software
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Planmeca Oy Dimaxis
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Sirona SIDEXIS XG
Work Environment
The work environment for oral and maxillofacial surgeons reflects the following characteristics:
- Exposed to Disease or Infections
- Physical Proximity
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
Getting Started in This Career
This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Dentists, General (Primary-Short)
- Orthodontists (Primary-Long)
- Prosthodontists (Primary-Short)
- Optometrists (Supplemental)
- Podiatrists (Primary-Long)
- Anesthesiologists (Supplemental)
- Cardiologists (Supplemental)
- Dermatologists (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring oral and maxillofacial surgeons often complete programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1022.00 (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons).
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