Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) is a complex surgical specialty combining dental and medical expertise; managing conditions of the mouth (oral), jaw (maxillo-), and face (-facial). In Australia and New Zealand, the registrable qualification for practice is the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (FRACDS(OMS)). For more information on the stringent training requirements, please visit our professional bodies, ANZAOMS or RACDS.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery procedures include:
Dentoalveolar Surgery (often referred to as Oral Surgery)
Orthognathic surgery (Corrective jaw surgery in upper jaw, lower jaw/ chin) - surgery to the upper and/or lower jaw to correct jaw deficiency and asymmetry. This treatment is usually undertaken together with an orthodontist (who corrects the dental arches/teeth relationship with braces), thus allowing the jaws to be repositioned into the correct relationship. The aim is to improve both functional (e.g. chewing and breathing) and aesthetic outcomes.
Oral and maxillofacial pathology (benign and malignant) - There are various benign and malignant/cancerous conditions of the head and neck treated by Dr Richardson.
Facial Fractures - Dr Richardson manages fractures of the facial bones, including fractures of the mandible (broken lower jaw), maxilla (broken upper jaw), zygomatic complex (broken cheek bone), nasal bones (broken nose), orbital complex (broken eye socket), and frontal bone (forehead). The majority of these injuries are caused through sporting injuries and motor vehicle accidents.
Tempormandibular disorders - The jaw joint (temporomandibular joint or TMJ) is a complex structure. The TMJ may have disorders which may cause pain, limitation of function, dislocation, and/or grinding noises. The management of these disorders is often multidisciplinary, and usually starts with management by your general dentist, followed by conservative management with an oral medicine clinician (specialist dentist) and physiotherapist. Surgical management is usually reserved for conditions which have failed conservative therapy, and includes injection of neurotoxin (e.g. 'Botox') or open joint procedures.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery procedures include:
Dentoalveolar Surgery (often referred to as Oral Surgery)
- Wisdom teeth surgery - The removal of impacted wisdom teeth involves a minor surgical procedure. The tooth, if buried, is usually uncovered by folding the overlying gum back and removing any overlying bone. The tooth may be divided to facilitate removal and dissolvable stitches may be used.
- Dental implants - A dental implant is a prosthetic tooth replacement that most closely replicates the natural tooth structure. A dental implant consists of a titanium screw that is inserted into the jaw as a replacement for the tooth root, forming a base to support an overlying prosthesis.
- Surgical removal of teeth - A dental extraction is the removal of a tooth from its socket in the jaw bone. Dental extractions are often indicated for compromised tooth structure (e.g. tooth fracture, gross decay), orthodontic/spacing requirements, or as a treatment for dental infections.
- Exposure of teeth - Teeth can sometimes fail to erupt properly – secondary to teeth or jaw size mismatch, malposition of teeth, wrong angulation, or obstruction in the path of eruption. Occasionally, these buried teeth require ‘surgical exposure’ which may allow it to erupt spontaneously or allow attachment of an appliance on the tooth so that it can be ‘pulled’ into place by an orthodontist (‘bonding’ and ‘traction’).
- Bone and soft tissue grafting - A range of grafting material is available for use, including harvesting your own bone, synthetic bone substitute, and TGA-approved, stringently treated natural bone (e.g. bovine-derived). Bone grafts are often covered by a collagen membrane (e.g. porcine-derived).The use of these materials will differ depending on your individual circumstance, and Dr Richardson will discuss this in detail with you during your consultation.
Orthognathic surgery (Corrective jaw surgery in upper jaw, lower jaw/ chin) - surgery to the upper and/or lower jaw to correct jaw deficiency and asymmetry. This treatment is usually undertaken together with an orthodontist (who corrects the dental arches/teeth relationship with braces), thus allowing the jaws to be repositioned into the correct relationship. The aim is to improve both functional (e.g. chewing and breathing) and aesthetic outcomes.
Oral and maxillofacial pathology (benign and malignant) - There are various benign and malignant/cancerous conditions of the head and neck treated by Dr Richardson.
Facial Fractures - Dr Richardson manages fractures of the facial bones, including fractures of the mandible (broken lower jaw), maxilla (broken upper jaw), zygomatic complex (broken cheek bone), nasal bones (broken nose), orbital complex (broken eye socket), and frontal bone (forehead). The majority of these injuries are caused through sporting injuries and motor vehicle accidents.
Tempormandibular disorders - The jaw joint (temporomandibular joint or TMJ) is a complex structure. The TMJ may have disorders which may cause pain, limitation of function, dislocation, and/or grinding noises. The management of these disorders is often multidisciplinary, and usually starts with management by your general dentist, followed by conservative management with an oral medicine clinician (specialist dentist) and physiotherapist. Surgical management is usually reserved for conditions which have failed conservative therapy, and includes injection of neurotoxin (e.g. 'Botox') or open joint procedures.