Three caregivers conducting oral surgery on a patient.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS)

When you have a broken tooth, a jaw that keeps clicking or constant, unexplained pain in your mouth, you may need more than a simple trip to the dentist.

A healthy mouth is important to your overall well-being. But sometimes, less invasive treatments may not make the problems with your teeth, gums or jaw any better. When that happens, oral surgery or maxillofacial surgery might be the answer.

We know the idea of any kind of dental work — especially surgery — can be stressful. That’s why our team of experienced oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) providers listen carefully to you. We answer your questions and walk you through all of your options well before your surgery date. We want you to be comfortable with having surgery and to start feeling good about your smile again.

Why Choose Cleveland Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?

Patient-centered care:

You may be worried about having oral or maxillofacial surgery. From the moment you make your first appointment, we focus on you and your needs with care and support. As we build your personalized treatment plan, we keep your comfort and well-being in mind.

Trusted experts:

Cleveland Clinic’s OMS team is specially trained to offer treatments that help your mouth, teeth, jaw and gums look and work better. We can treat even the most complex dental conditions. Meet our team.

Collaborative care:

Cleveland Clinic’s oral and maxillofacial surgeons work closely with other members of your healthcare team, if needed. This lets us make sure you’re getting the most personalized treatments — all tailored to your needs.

Specialized knowledge:

We often see people who are getting ready to have or who have had treatments like radiation to their neck or head, organ transplant, heart surgery and other therapies. These treatments often require special care.

Virtual visits:

Not all appointments need to be in person. Virtual visits let you meet one-on-one with your providers using a smartphone, tablet or computer. You can talk about your progress and concerns with them from the comfort of home.

National recognition:

Cleveland Clinic is a trusted healthcare leader. We're recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for our expertise and care.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Evaluation at Cleveland Clinic

Oral surgery is any kind of operation on your teeth, gums, jaw or any areas around your mouth and face. There are many reasons why you may need oral or maxillofacial surgery, like:

Extensive tooth decay (cavities).
Badly broken or missing teeth.
Impacted wisdom teeth.
Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ or TMD).
Bone grafting.
Sleep apnea.
Oral cancer.
Noncancerous lumps and bumps.
Jaw fracture.
Jaw disorder.
Dental implants.
Jaw cysts and tumors.

Your dentist may spot problems during your regular dental checkup. Or maybe constant pain has left you feeling uncomfortable for a long time. Whatever the reason, checking in with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is the first step toward relief.

What to expect at your first visit

Your first appointment begins with a conversation. We’ll ask questions, like, “When did you start noticing problems? What kind of problems were they? And are they getting worse?”

We’ll also talk about what you can expect from surgery. And we’ll go over important things to consider, like:

Effects on your appearance.
Financial considerations.
The future health of your mouth and jaw.
How long you hope the procedure and results will last.
Your ability to speak clearly, smile and chew.

While you’re here, we’ll check the inside of your mouth and your teeth. And we’ll order dental X-rays to help us find things like cavities or gum disease and to see things like your jawbone, nerves, sinuses and teeth roots up close. Our software and equipment helps us map your face and mouth so we can do the safest, most precise surgery possible.

Providers Who Perform Oral Surgery

Locations

Our healthcare providers see patients at the following location in Northeast Ohio.

Having Oral Surgery at Cleveland Clinic

Your personalized treatment plan depends on your diagnosis, health and goals. All of this will guide us in deciding which surgery is right for you. Our OMS providers offer many types of surgery. Some of these include:

Tooth extraction: We remove teeth damaged by severe decay, gum disease and injury. This includes wisdom teeth removal.
Dental bone graft: We restore areas of bone loss in your jaw with a graft of healthy bone and tissue or synthetic (human-made) material.
Dental implants: We place permanent metal screws with a synthetic tooth attached into your jaw to replace missing or damaged teeth.
Jaw orthognathic surgery: We fix (realign) your jaw when it doesn’t line up (misalignment).
Sleep apnea surgery: We repair tissues in the back of your throat that block your airway (windpipe) and affect your breathing during sleep.
Cleft lip and palate surgery: We close the opening on the roof of your mouth or lip to help with eating and speech.

What to expect during surgery

Before your procedure, we’ll go over anesthesia options that help prevent pain during surgery. Using your health history and preferences as a guide, we may recommend:

Local anesthetic to numb the area where you’re having surgery.
Twilight (conscious) sedation that makes you sleepy.
General anesthesia to put you into a deep sleep for the entire surgery.

How long your surgery takes will depend on the type you’re having, how many teeth we’re treating and what kind of anesthesia you choose. Removing a single tooth with a local anesthetic might take 30 minutes, but corrective jaw surgery could take at least several hours.

Recovery after oral and maxillofacial surgery

Your provider will go over what to expect from recovery during your evaluation. And you’ll have follow-up visits after surgery, too.

After most surgeries, you go home the same day. We’ll make sure you know how to care for yourself before you leave. And you’ll take home detailed instructions, too. Following these guidelines can help lower your risk of bleeding, infection and other complications.

As you recover, you’ll need to eat softer foods, like mashed potatoes, pudding, eggs, fish, rice and milkshakes. While healing isn’t the same for everyone, chances are you’ll likely start feeling like yourself again about a week or so after surgery. But if you’ve had more complex treatment, it may take longer to recover.

Taking the Next Step

When you learn that an oral or maxillofacial surgery procedure could relieve your jaw and dental pain, you might feel a little worried. It’s normal to feel that way. But when you come to Cleveland Clinic, we help you get comfortable with the idea of surgery and prepare for the procedure. We’ll listen to your needs and goals. And we’ll use what we learn to build the most personalized treatment plan so you can get the best results.