Overview
Oral Surgery is a specialty that deals with the diagnosis and surgical treatment of conditions affecting the hard and soft tissues in and around the Oral Cavity.
It is a surgical specialty that works closely with General Dental Practitioners and other specialists in both Medicine and Dentistry. It has close ties with Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, but does not require a registerable Medical Degree.
Specialist training in Oral Surgery is open to Dental Practitioners who are registered with the General Dental Council, who have completed vocational training and who have gained enough experience both practical and academic to gain appointment to an StR post by competitive interview.
Training in Oral Surgery is of three years duration which culminates in the MOralSurg exam and successful candidates are then eligible for inclusion on the specialist list in Oral Surgery. There are opportunities for specialists to undergo further career development involving additional academic, clinical and management competencies approved by the SAC that will allow entry to the Intercollegiate Specialty Fellowship exam and eligibility for appointment as a consultant in Oral Surgery.
Specialists in Oral Surgery may work in any of the following environments:
- As a specialist in a high street oral surgery practice
- As a specialist working in a secondary care environment
- As an academic oral surgeon usually based in a dental school
- As a consultant / specialist in the salaried dental services
- As a consultant in oral surgery in a District General Hospital
Some Oral Surgeons will be in a position to develop areas of special interest which will be determined in part by their employers' needs and in part by their personal area of interest.
James Parker
Oral Surgery SAC Chair