Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Administer general and local anesthetics.
• Remove impacted, damaged, and non-restorable teeth.
• Treat snoring problems, using laser surgery.
• Treat infections of the oral cavity, salivary glands, jaws, and neck.
• Perform minor facial rejuvenation procedures, including the use of Botox and laser technology.
• Perform surgery on the mouth and jaws to treat conditions such as cleft lip, cleft palate, and jaw growth problems.
• Perform minor cosmetic procedures, such as chin and cheekbone enhancements.
• Remove tumors and other abnormal growths of the oral and facial regions, using surgical instruments.
• Evaluate the position of the wisdom teeth to determine whether problems exist currently or might occur in the future.
• Restore form and function by moving skin, bone, nerves, and other tissues from other parts of the body to reconstruct the jaws and face.
• Collaborate with other professionals, such as restorative dentists and orthodontists, to plan treatment.
• Treat problems affecting the oral mucosa, such as mouth ulcers and infections.
• Provide emergency treatment of facial injuries including facial lacerations, intra-oral lacerations, and fractured facial bones.
• Perform surgery to prepare the mouth for dental implants and to aid in the regeneration of deficient bone and gum tissues.

Skills

• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

Abilities

• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

Knowledge

• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Education

Education

Doctoral or professional degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Internship/residency

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

U.S. Annual Salary

239,200+/yr

U.S. Hourly Wage

115+/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

310

Yearly Projected Openings

20

Personality

Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:

• Self-Confidence
• Perseverance
• Stress Tolerance
• Self-Control
• Achievement Orientation
• Cooperation

Tools

• Blood pressure cuff kits
• Crown or bridge removers
• Dental absorbent holders
• Dental anesthesia sets
• Dental burs
• Dental cord packers
• Dental cryosurgical units
• Dental cutting or separating discs
• Dental dam supplies
• Dental dehydrators
• Dental depth gauges
• Dental elevators
• Dental excavators
• Dental files or rasps
• Dental forceps
• Dental handpieces
• Dental lasers
• Dental mallets
• Dental material pluggers or tips
• Dental mirrors or mirror handles
• Dental mouth prop or bite block or gag
• Dental nippers
• Dental placement instruments
• Dental probes or explorers
• Dental retractors
• Dental root tip picks
• Dental saliva ejectors or oral suction devices
• Dental scalers
• Dental scissors
• Dental spreaders
• Dental syringes or needles or syringes with needles
• Dental x ray units
• Desktop computers
• Electrocardiography EKG units
• Electrosurgical or electrocautery equipment
• Endoscopic hemostatic balloons or needles or tubes or accessories
• Goggles
• Intravenous infusion pumps for general use
• Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits
• Medical computed tomography CT or CAT scanners or tubes
• Medical oxygen masks or parts
• Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
• Multiparameter vital sign units
• Notebook computers
• Patient carbon dioxide detectors
• Periodontal chisels
• Periodontal curettes
• Periodontal hoes
• Periodontal knives
• Pulse oximeter units
• Safety glasses
• Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
• Surgical bone biopsy mills or related products
• Surgical elevators or levers
• Surgical gloves
• Surgical impactors or packers
• Surgical irrigation sets
• Surgical isolation or surgical masks
• Surgical microscopes or loupes or magnifiers
• Surgical needle holders
• Surgical pliers
• Surgical retraction hooks
• Surgical retractors
• Surgical rongeurs
• Surgical scalpels or knives or blades or trephines
• Surgical scissors
• Surgical suction machine or vacuum extractor or ultrasonic surgical aspirator
• Surgical tomes
• Suture removers
• Ultrasonic cleaning equipment
• Videoscopes

Technology

• Development environment software
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Medical software
• Operating system software