What does an oral and maxillofacial surgeon do?
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a physician trained in diagnosing and treating diseases, defects, and injuries occurring in the soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region - face, head, jaws, and neck. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons also handle teeth extractions and dental surgery or operate on cysts and tumors. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons can also correct disfigurements and injuries to the head, neck, mouth, jaw, and face.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeon responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real oral and maxillofacial surgeon resumes:
- Manage all incoming medical records requests (ensuring office is within HIPPA guidelines).
- Distribute discharge instructions and information, counseling patients on the dos and don'ts of post-surgery.
- Schedule and confirm all appointment and consultation times ensuring the maximum number of patients in a specify time period.
- Board-Certify dermatologist performing Mohs surgery, advance reconstruction, blepharoplasty, liposuction, cosmetic & medical dermatology.
- Investigate all unpaid dental or medical EOB's and submit necessary documentation to get claim paid.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeon skills and personality traits
We calculated that 58% of Oral And Maxillofacial Surgeons are proficient in Patients, Maxillofacial Surgeon, and OSHA. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Detail oriented, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Oral And Maxillofacial Surgeons that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 58%
Helped with collection and posting of patients' payments upon check-out.
- Maxillofacial Surgeon, 22%
Experience Circulating and Assisting in an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Office.
- OSHA, 6%
Followed OSHA and HIPAA rules and regulations.
- Private Practice, 5%
Administered IV sedation and general anesthesia Accomplishments Developed successful private practices.
- Extraction, 3%
Focused experience in wisdom teeth extractions, with special attention to anxiety and pain management in a private practice setting.
- Appointment Scheduling, 1%
Managed all aspects of medical office operations including insurance claims, billing, and appointment scheduling.
Common skills that an oral and maxillofacial surgeon uses to do their job include "patients," "maxillofacial surgeon," and "osha." You can find details on the most important oral and maxillofacial surgeon responsibilities below.
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for an oral and maxillofacial surgeon to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "dentists must communicate effectively with patients, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and receptionists." Additionally, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "maintained open lines of communication between patients, physician, staff, and laboratory personnel. "
Detail oriented. Many oral and maxillofacial surgeon duties rely on detail oriented. "dentists must pay attention to the shape and color of teeth and to the space between them," so an oral and maxillofacial surgeon will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways oral and maxillofacial surgeon responsibilities rely on detail oriented: "register new patients and update existing detailed patient information including personal and financial information. "
Dexterity. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of oral and maxillofacial surgeons is dexterity. This skill is critical to many everyday oral and maxillofacial surgeon duties, as "dentists must be good with their hands." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "gained invaluable knowledge of the medical industry and patient care; developed diagnostic and problem-solving skills through hands-on clinical experience. "
Leadership skills. oral and maxillofacial surgeon responsibilities often require "leadership skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "dentists, especially those with their own practices, may need to manage staff or mentor other dentists." This resume example shows what oral and maxillofacial surgeons do with leadership skills on a typical day: "provided nursing leadership, coordination and support to a private oral and maxillofacial surgeon's office. "
Problem-solving skills. A commonly-found skill in oral and maxillofacial surgeon job descriptions, "problem-solving skills" is essential to what oral and maxillofacial surgeons do. Oral and maxillofacial surgeon responsibilities rely on this skill because "dentists must evaluate patients’ symptoms and choose the appropriate treatment." You can also see how oral and maxillofacial surgeon duties rely on problem-solving skills in this resume example: "provided solutions to the patients for their needs. "
The three companies that hire the most oral and maxillofacial surgeons are:
- My.com5 oral and maxillofacial surgeons jobs
- Cleveland Clinic2 oral and maxillofacial surgeons jobs
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine2 oral and maxillofacial surgeons jobs
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Compare different oral and maxillofacial surgeons
Oral and maxillofacial surgeon vs. Dental service chief
Oral Surgeons consult with patients and analyze patient information to determine the patient's requirements and treatment objectives. They plan treatments by partnering with other professionals like orthodontists and restorative dentists. These professionals record patients' care by keeping comprehensive patient appointment notes relating to test results, prescribed treatments, prescribed tests, and comments. Besides administering local anesthetics and general anesthetics, where necessary, oral surgeons also prescribe medication that can control pain after surgical procedures and improve patient recovery.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an oral and maxillofacial surgeon are more likely to require skills like "patients," "maxillofacial surgeon," "dds," and "osha." On the other hand, a job as a dental service chief requires skills like "dental hygiene," "dental care," "dental treatment," and "direct patient care." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, dental service chiefs reach similar levels of education than oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Dental service chiefs are 1.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 2.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Oral and maxillofacial surgeon vs. Oral surgeon
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, oral and maxillofacial surgeon responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "maxillofacial surgeon," "oms," "private practice," and "cpr." Meanwhile, an oral surgeon has duties that require skills in areas such as "patient care," "dental care," "dmd," and "health insurance." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Oral surgeons earn a lower average salary than oral and maxillofacial surgeons. But oral surgeons earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $209,921. Additionally, oral and maxillofacial surgeons earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $215,624 annually.In general, oral surgeons achieve similar levels of education than oral and maxillofacial surgeons. They're 3.4% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 2.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Oral and maxillofacial surgeon vs. Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from oral and maxillofacial surgeon resumes include skills like "patients," "maxillofacial surgeon," "osha," and "oms," whereas an oral and maxillofacial surgery is more likely to list skills in "regulatory agencies," "dmd," "administrative functions," and "faculty practice. "
When it comes to education, oral and maxillofacial surgeries tend to earn similar degree levels compared to oral and maxillofacial surgeons. In fact, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 10.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of oral and maxillofacial surgeon
Updated January 8, 2025
