As per Assignment 1.3, students are tasked to expand on a relatively complex term used within our particular professions. The purpose of these definitions is to provide the general public with a technical term in a manner which is easily comprehensible. The objective of this assignment is to exercise technical writing definitions and descriptive writing styles. A parenthetical definition, sentence definition, and expanded definition of an oral and maxillofacial surgeon will be included below. The reading situation is a dental hygienist explaining what an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is to a client who needs a referral for a suspicious lesion noted on their tongue.
Parenthetical definition: The dental hygienist referred their patient to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon (oral specialist).
Sentence definition: An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a specialist of conditions of the head, neck, jaw, and mouth.
Expanded definition:
What is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon?
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a specialist of the head, neck, and facial regions. They diagnose and treat a range of oral and maxillofacial conditions; oral = mouth, maxilla = upper jaw, facial = face. In Canada, surgeons must complete many years of education and pass a National Board Examination to be recognized as a certified specialist. After completion of a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) program, a 4–6-year hospital residency is required, including rotations in various medical departments. Abnormal appearances of gums, lips, or the skin are frequently referred to them for further testing. Complicated tooth extractions or dental surgery, dental implant surgery, and bone and gum grafting are all standard treatments done at a maxillofacial surgery office. Less commonly, they perform dentoalveolar (tooth socket) surgery and trauma management.
Why would someone be referred to an oral and maxillofacial surgery?
They often receive patient referrals due to a concern noted during a routine physical or dental examination. The concern, typically a lesion of the oral cavity, can be anything from a benign finding to more serious events such as oral cancer. A specialist should assess the suspicious lesion noted on your tongue during the exam today. They will likely perform a biopsy of the area, which involves removing either a portion or all of the tissue mass and testing it under microscope. They may also use visualization devices or special dyes to stain cell differentiation and provide more information on the type of lesion noted.
J Can Dent Assoc 2011;77:b117
Works Cited
The Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (CAOMS) is a non-profit organization that serves oral and maxillofacial surgeons across Canada. Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2021, from https://www.caoms.com/.
Oral maxillofacial surgery? Pacific Coast Oral Maxillofacial Surgery. (2020, December 2). Retrieved September 29, 2021, from https://pcoms.ca/2020/05/what-is-oral-maxillofacial-surgery/.
What is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon? from 123dentist. 123Dentist. (2019, May 6). Retrieved September 29, 2021, from https://www.123dentist.com/what-is-an-oral-and-maxillofacial-surgeon/.
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