Over the past ten years, the training of contemporary oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS) has changed dramatically in response to medical and dental health care advancements. The training begins after completion of dental school and may include a hospital based internship as a prerequisite. Completion of an OMFS residency requires 4-6 years of hospital based training focusing solely on the maxillofacial region. It includes extensive training on traditional intra-oral surgery as well as maxillofacial surgical training. The residency includes medical training and rotations such as neurosurgery, critical care medicine, emergency room, internal medicine, general surgery, pediatric surgery and plastic surgery. OMFS residents also receive training in the administration of out-patient anesthesia and are required to administer hundreds of anesthetics during their residency training.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a surgical specialty which involves both dental and medical surgical treatments, it diagnoses and treats diseases, deformities, injuries and cosmetic defects of the facial and oral region. OMFS are considered the “orthopedic and plastic and reconstructive surgeons of the Maxillofacial region” (the upper jaw, cheek bones, the bones that support and surround the eyes, lower jaw, chin, jaw joints, associated facial structures, and the intra-oral structures including teeth and their supporting bone and gum tissues, salivary glands, and lining tissues of the mouth).

Many of the procedures performed are in an office ambulatory surgical setting. These procedures include the removal of teeth, management of oral and facial pathology, laser surgery to manage snoring, surgical aspect of dental implants, regeneration of deficient bone and gum tissues around teeth and implants and cosmetic periodontal surgery to enhance gum tissue contours and beautify a patient’s smile. They also include cosmetic procedures such as chin and cheek-bone enhancements. Sedation and general anesthesia can be used to manage discomfort and anxiety.

The remainder of oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures are performed in the hospital. These procedures include corrective jaw surgery to treat jaw growth problems which can affect both the function and appearance of the oral and facial area, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery, treatment of complicated facial injuries and fractures, reconstruction of jaw or facial regions resulting from trauma or pathology, management of craniofacial and cleft lip and palate deformities, and treatment of large and aggressive tumors of the jaw and face.
In addition, your oral and maxillofacial surgeon has extensive hospital based training in the delivery of inpatient and outpatient general anesthesia and intravenous sedation. Drs. Katch and Adams are both anesthesia examiners for the Pennsylvania State Dental Board. They are both certified in ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support).