Oral surgery

We care for patients with:

• Illness or disease (pathology) of the face, mouth, jaws and neck (advice, diagnosis and management)
• Teeth requiring removal (which cannot be extracted by your dentist)
• Bone and soft tissue defects of the face, mouth, and jaws. Surgery is undertaken jointly with another specialist surgical team.
• Nerve injuries affecting the tongue, mouth  and jaws
• Surgery as part of orthodontic treatment including extraction of teeth, surgery to the jaws, teeth and uncovering teeth stuck in the jaw
• Soft tissue pathology of the mouth
• Temporomandibular joint [TMJ] problems (where the lower jaw meets the skull)

The Oral Surgery team also see patients in conjunction with the Facial Pain service. 

The department aims to provide a high-quality service, by keeping the patient needs at the top. All treatment is audited and quality assessed to make sure that pathways offer the best care for patients. As a research centre and a teaching hospital, you will be treated by a combination of consultants, dental core trainees (training to become NHS dentists), specialty trainees (training to become NHS oral surgeons) and some postgraduate dentists (qualified dentists doing additional training to extend their knowledge and skills).

The department follows stringent guidelines in delivering a service for the referral cohort placing the patient needs at the top.  Care is delivered through pathways that are audited and quality assessed.  The department optimises the delivery of patient care in line with education and training.

The RNENT&EDH is an outpatient hospital, clinics will be held here. However, depending on the treatment you are having, any surgery may be in a different building at UCLH – we will let you know where to go prior to your appointment.

We care for patients with:

• Pathology of the face, mouth, jaws and neck (advice, diagnosis and management)
• Complex and impacted teeth requiring removal
• Compromised medical health, requiring extractions
• Craniofacial and oral defects (bone grafts and reconstruction are undertaken jointly with the restorative division)
• Lingual and inferior alveolar nerve injuries
• Surgical orthodontics including orthognathic surgery, exposure and bonding of impacted teeth and orthodontic extractions
• Soft tissue pathology of the mouth
• Temporomandibular joint problems

The department regularly revisits its referral criteria in line with the changing demands on the service. The department follows strict guidance and adheres closely to the NICE guidelines relating to wisdom tooth removal. 

Patients are discharged back to the care of the dentist with a discharge report following completion of the treatment. Access to patient results in the majority of cases the patient will be given a review appointment to discuss test results. Following this a letter is routinely sent to the referrer confirming diagnostic test results.

Referrals can be made using NHS e-Referral Service via a GP using the details below:

All patients referred using this method should be registered with a General Dental Practitioner (GDP). For GDP referrals, please post or email these to ‘ECRA’ at the contact details above.

Any referrals where an attempted extraction has been carried out or fractured roots must be accompanied by details of the treatment initiated and the difficulties encountered in order to be triaged as urgent. Our referral criteria is:

Retained roots requiring surgical removal Multiple extractions with moderate to severe complexity e.g. bulbous and sclerosed/ ankylosed teeth, impacted wisdom teeth that are causing persistent problems,  Other Impacted teeth Cystic lesions of the jaws Abnormal swellings of the jaws and associated soft tissues Jaw fractures Infections and chronic lesions related to any of the above Myofascial pain and patients requiring multidisciplinary care Patients with a craniofacial and facial deformity