Oral & Maxillofacial (OMF) surgeons specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the mouth, jaws, face and neck.
OMF surgery is unique in requiring a dual qualification in medicine and dentistry and is often seen as the bridge between medicine and dentistry, treating conditions that require expertise from both backgrounds such as head and neck cancers, salivary gland diseases, facial disproportion, facial trauma, temporomandibular joint disorders, vascular lesions, impacted teeth, cysts, and tumours of the jaws as well as numerous problems affecting the oral mucosa such as mouth ulcers and infections.
The oral & maxillofacial unit at Alder Hey provides a comprehensive range of services to correct problems with the face, mouth, teeth, and jaws (maxillo means jaw).
Our consultant surgeons also work within the departments of craniofacial surgery, cleft lip and palate surgery and work as part of the regional oral & maxillofacial service for Merseyside. We also work closely with our colleagues in orthodontics, paediatric (children’s) dentistry and speech and language therapy.
The unit provides tertiary-level services for patients across Merseyside, North Wales, Cumbria and the Isle of Man.
The maxillofacial unit has its own outpatient department with four fully fitted clinic rooms and a multi-disciplinary clinic room. We have two consultants and a specialist doctor. We are also a training unit and have a speciality trainee in oral & maxillofacial surgery (registrar) and three dental core trainee doctors.
We run clinics and multiple operating theatre sessions each week and provide emergency cover for oral & maxillofacial surgery in the region, 365 days per year.