The Demo Site

The scope of dental practice has evolved enormously since the era of the barber surgeon. Oral surgery remains, however, not only a traditional skill in dentistry but also a core skill for all dental surgeons regardless of their area of specialism, and therefore it is an important part of the undergraduate curriculum and general professional training. Over the years, as the medical status of the population has become more complex and surgical expertise has increased, oral surgery has evolved into identified subspecialties. These include maxillofacial surgery, which, in the UK, is a specialty of medicine; oral surgery, which embraces maxillofacial trauma and orthognathic surgery; and dentoalveolar surgery, which is designated surgical dentistry by the General Dental Council in the UK. The first two - maxillofacial surgery and oral surgery - are the remit of specialists, whereas all dentists are expected to be competent in dentoalveolar surgery. A sound knowledge of basic surgical principles is a prerequisite to the practice of any of these areas of surgery.