Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department

Medical expertise

The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery has a reputation for quality patient care—applying proven techniques with modern equipment, while providing personal attention and empathy to patients. Treatment is provided by experts from the complete medical spectrum. The oral and maxillofacial surgery team offers the following subspecialties:

• Maxillofacial trauma: The Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center is among the region's largest trauma centers, receiving patients with severe injuries, including facial bone fractures. These injuries require a team approach that may include neurosurgery; ear, nose, and throat specialization; ophthalmology; and plastic surgery. Trauma care entails fixation of bone fractures and teeth and surgical treatment of soft tissue injuries.
  
• Orthogenetic surgery: Facial bone deformities, which can be present at birth or develop later in life may include: lower jaw protrusion, receding upper jaw, a combination of the two conditions, facial elongation, small size lower jaw, facial asymmetry, or an open bite. The treatment for these conditions is surgical.
  
• Pre-prosthetic surgery: Missing teeth cause loss of support to the facial tissues, which can also cause changes in the facial bones. These changes can have a large impact on facial aesthetics and function. The Pre-prosthodontic Surgery team performs complex implantations for rehabilitation of the underlying bony structure as a basis for dental implants. Surgeries performed include sinus lifts and bone grafts, both oral as well as extraoral. This treatment is multidisciplinary, integrating orthodontists, speech therapists, and oral and maxillofacial specialists.
  
• Reconstructive facial surgery: Serious injuries to the facial bones often leave large gaps in the hard and soft tissues. This unit restores facial bones, eye sockets, cheekbones, and forehead.
  
• Dental implants: Dental implants have revolutionized dentistry. Implants are reliable, well tolerated by the body, and improve patient quality of life. The dental implant unit offers a complement of treatments for patients with injuries or systemic medical conditions.
  
• Correction of birth defects: Children born with facial deformities suffer tremendously, from functional, aesthetic, and psychological aspects. Maxillofacial surgeons at TASMC specialize in correcting a range of conditions in children, including hemifacial microsomia.
  
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery: The lower jaw joint is one of the most active joints in the body. TMJ patients may present with a variety of symptoms, such as difficulty in opening the mouth, limitation of jaw movement, clicking or chronic joint pain. A broad spectrum of systemic conditions express themselves in the jaw joint, such as rheumatic diseases, emotional stress, and trauma. The Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center treatment approach is tailored for each condition, and ranges from conservative treatment, such as the use of a night mouth guard, physiotherapy, acupuncture, arthrocentesis, and anti-anxiety medication; to surgical alternatives, offered in cases where conservative therapy is ineffective.
  
• Facial aesthetics: The unit takes care of a wide range of aesthetic facial conditions, such as a small chin, depressed cheekbones, and small or pronounced jaw angle.
  
• Benign oral growths: Physicians in this unit specialize in diagnosing and treating benign tumors in oral tissues, including teeth, gums, the alveolar bone, and soft tissues. Examinations for early detection of cancer are also performed.
  
• Mucous membrane diseases: This unit treats conditions of the mucous membranes, including skin-related diseases in the mouth. 
• Sinus conditions: This clinic works in concert with the Ear, Nose, and Throat Department to treat sinus conditions whose source is the oral cavity or teeth.