Information for Patients

Information for patients

So, just what is 'oral and maxillofacial' surgery?

Oral and maxillofacial surgery ('maxillo' simply refers to the jaws) is a branch of surgery with roots in medicine and dentistry and which deals with diseases of the mouth, jaws and face and important structures in the area such as the salivary glands and the temporomandibular joints (ie the jaw joints). Oral and maxillofacial surgery (sometimes also called 'maxfac' or 'maxfax' for short) is highly intricate in an area which is important both functionally and cosmetically.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons have a dental as well as the usual medical qualification (so called 'doubly qualified') together with the appropriate postgraduate professional qualifications (usually the fellowship of one of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons).

Their work covers these main areas (click for pictures):

Clinical Services

Head and Neck Malignancy
Head and Neck Trauma
Laser treatment
Skull Base Surgery
Head and Neck Reconstruction
Removal of wisdom teeth
Facial Deformities
Paediatric Maxillofacial Surgery
Orthognathic Surgery
Salivary Gland Disease
Congenital Diseases
Temporomandibular disorders

Emergency Services

There is 24 hour emergency on-call cover provided by the department as part of the hospital's
A & E service. All aspects of oral and facial trauma, from minor cuts and bruises to severe injuries from car accidents brought in by the Royal London's helicopter ambulance, are treated.

The Dental Institute Emergency Clinic (entrance on New Road) deals with toothaches and other dental complaints during office hours.

Out of hours dental cover is provided by the Emergency Dental Service (entrance next to the Alexandra wing) from 7pm till 11pm.

How to find us

The Royal London Hospital is situated in Whitechapel in London's East End, on the eastern edge of the City. The nearest Underground station is Whitechapel with exits directly opposite the hospital entrance:

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