Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Training in the United States: Influences of Dental and Medical Education, Wartime Experiences, and Other External Factors

Leonard B Kaban; Robert Hale; David H Perrott

doi:10.1016/j.coms.2022.03.008

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Training in the United States: Influences of Dental and Medical Education, Wartime Experiences, and Other External Factors

Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2022 Nov;34(4):495-503. doi: 10.1016/j.coms.2022.03.008. Epub 2022 Oct 9.

Authors

Leonard B Kaban¹, Robert Hale², David H Perrott³

Affiliations

¹ Walter C. Guralnick Distinguished Professor &Chief Emeritus, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address: kaban.leonard@mgh.harvard.edu.
² U.S. Army, 6325 Topanga Canyon Rd, Suite 435, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, USA.
³ California Hospital Association, Phoenix, CA, USA.

PMID: 36224077
DOI: 10.1016/j.coms.2022.03.008

Abstract

Here, we trace the history of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) education from the mid-19th century to the present. We consider the effects of separation of dentistry and medicine, discovery of anesthesia, antisepsis, antibiotics, and wars on surgical progress and training. In the 19th century, apprenticeships with well-known surgeons were the norm. In the 20th century, training evolved from nonintegrated dental school and hospital experiences to 3- and then 4-year integrated hospital programs. After World War II individual oral surgeons pursued the MD degree after residency. The formal dual degree OMS paradigm began in the 1970s.

Keywords: History; OMS Residency programs; Oral and maxillofacial surgery training; Training programs.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Anesthesia, Dental*
Anesthesiology* / education
Education, Medical*
Humans
Oral Surgical Procedures
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Surgery, Oral*
United States