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Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Perform surgery and related procedures on the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions to treat diseases, injuries, or defects. May diagnose problems of the oral and maxillofacial regions. May perform surgery to improve function or appearance.
Other titles employers use
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) · Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS) · Oral Surgeon · Surgeon · Dental Surgeon · Maxillofacial Surgeon
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Administer general and local anesthetics.
- Collaborate with other professionals, such as restorative dentists and orthodontists, to plan treatment.
- Evaluate the position of the wisdom teeth to determine whether problems exist currently or might occur in the future.
- Perform surgery to prepare the mouth for dental implants and to aid in the regeneration of deficient bone and gum tissues.
- Remove impacted, damaged, and non-restorable teeth.
- Treat infections of the oral cavity, salivary glands, jaws, and neck.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to analytical, practical and helping work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
Subjects to know
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Biology
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
Useful strengths
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Finger Dexterity
- Near Vision
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 5.0 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 4.3 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.3 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Medical software
- Development environment software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 480
- Job openings each year
- 20
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 14.3%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 480 | 20 | 14.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 420 | 10 | 2.4% |
| Washington | 310 | 20 | 14.8% |
| Tennessee | 230 | 10 | 15.0% |
| Massachusetts | 190 | 10 | 5.6% |
| Ohio | 190 | 10 | — |
| Colorado | 160 | 10 | 14.3% |
| Michigan | 150 | 0 | — |
| North Carolina | 150 | 10 | 15.4% |
| South Carolina | 150 | 10 | 15.4% |
| Kentucky | 130 | 0 | — |
| Iowa | 120 | 10 | 9.1% |
| Arizona | 90 | 0 | 28.6% |
| South Dakota | 90 | 0 | 12.5% |
| Wisconsin | 80 | 0 | — |
| Virginia | 30 | 0 | — |
| New Hampshire | 20 | 0 | — |
| New Jersey | 20 | 0 | — |
| Idaho | 10 | 0 | — |
Career to college
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