Oral Surgery
Oral Surgery in the UK is a dental specialty recognised by the General Dental Council. It deals with the diagnosis and management of pathology of the mouth and jaws, requiring surgical intervention. Oral Surgery involves the treatment of children, adolescents and adults, and the management of dentally anxious and medically complex patients. The title Oral Surgeon is limited to registered dentists included in the specialist list in Oral Surgery. The award of the Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST) will require evidence of satisfactory completion of a broad training in Oral Surgery for a minimum of three years and completion of the Dental Specialty Fellowship Examination in Oral Surgery. Oral Surgery specialist training in Yorkshire & The Humber satisfies this requirement.
Oral Surgery is the surgical specialty of dentistry. It includes the diagnosis, surgery and related treatment of diseases, injuries and defects involving both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity. Oral surgeons work in primary and secondary care depending on the needs and complexities of the patient. They work closely with general dental practitioners and other specialists in dentistry, medicine and surgery
Meet the Training Programme Director - Louise Middlefell
My name is Louise Middlefell, I am the TPD for Oral Surgery. I have worked in Oral Surgery for most of my working career and completed my specialty training within the Yorkshire region. This gives me a good insight into the needs of the trainees and how the training programme should progress over the coming years.
I am committed to the development of Oral Surgery as a specialty and I am proud of the success of the trainees from our region, many of whom have gone on to secure Oral Surgery Consultant roles locally and further a-field.
Curriculum and Training
The Yorkshire & The Humber region offers both NHS and academic oral surgery training opportunities. There are a variety of units that provide training experience, including dental hospitals (Leeds Dental Institute and Charles Clifford Dental Hospital) and oral and maxillofacial surgery units in district general hospitals. This allows postgraudate dentists in training (PgDiT) to gain varied exposure to the full breadth of the oral surgery curriculum, with treatment under local and general anaesthesia as well as conscious sedation. Understanding of and exposure to head and neck oncology management, orthognathic, TMJ and pain management, as well as trauma and oral medicine is available within the rotations. There are also multidisciplinary clinics with colleagues in sister specialties such as orthodontics, paediatric and restorative dentistry for patients requiring complex care.
PgDiT meet on a monthly basis to participate in regional study sessions. These provide great opportunities to develop knowledge, polish those presentation skills and most importantly, network with colleagues in the region.
The training follows the syllabus set down by the General Dental Council:
Before completion of training, the PgDiT will be expected to sit for the Dental Specialty Fellowship Examination in Oral Surgery. This is a tri-collegiate specialist examination from the Edinburgh, England, Glasgow Dental Surgery Faculties.
https://dsfe.org.uk/oral-surgery/
The DSFE consists of two parts:
Part 1: A written examination comprising Single Best Answer questions assessing applied basic sciences and clinical knowldge relevant to oral surgery.
Part 2: A Clinical Structured Oral examination consisting of case-based discussions, designed to assess clinical judgement, decision-making, diagnosis, treatment planning and management of complications in oral surgery practice.
Completion of this contributes towards the awareness of a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training and entry onto the specialist lists. Achieving an Outcome 1 in the ARCP at the end of Year 3 of training allows eligibility to be a consultant.
There are opportunities to attend national meetings such as the BAOS annual conference and the Oral Surgery pertinent study days from BAOS and RCS courses.
http://www.baos.org.uk/
http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/fds
http://www.rcsed.ac.uk/
http://www.rcsi.ie/dentistry
The Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme Website
This site houses the curriculum for the dental specialties and, in a secure area, PgDiT’s electronic portfolios and the learning agreements which support training.
All PgDiTs will eventually use the e-portfolio but this will be done on a rolling programme by specialty. Consultants and other professionals who will be training, assessing and supervising training will also need to register.
Research
PgDiTs are encouraged to complete audits and publish papers in peer reviewed journals, as well as present at regional and national conferences.
There is no formal research component to the training, however, for those trainees wishing to carry out a research project, support and advice will be available. There are also courses on research planning and statistics that are available in the region on the education pages.
Leeds and Sheffield are both sites participating in the MiTigate trial. PgDiTs based at these centres may have the chance to contribute to the study, which is the world’s largest clinical trial investigating temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Involvement in this landmark study supports the development of essential research skills, including patient recruitment and data collection, while contributing to important advances in the understanding and management of TMD.
Meet the postgraduate dentists in training
Prateek Biyani, ST2 in Oral Surgery
"Training in Oral Surgery within Yorkshire has provided me with a broad and rewarding experience across the specialty. A key perk of this region is the ability to rotate between units. Rotating through both teaching hospital and district general hospital settings has allowed me to manage a wide range of patients and procedures, from routine dentoalveolar surgery to more complex cases requiring multidisciplinary input. This variety has been invaluable in developing both my clinical confidence and surgical decision-making in a range of settings.
One of the greatest strengths of the programme is the opportunity to work alongside highly supportive consultants, specialists and trainees across all specialities. I have benefited from regular teaching sessions, case-based discussions and inter-specialty study days, all of which have helped strengthen my knowledge and prepare me for future career progression. The regional teaching days are particularly valuable for networking with colleagues and sharing experiences across different units.
The programme has also encouraged involvement in audit, service improvement and research, helping me build skills beyond day-to-day clinical practice. Overall, my experience of Oral Surgery training in Yorkshire has been extremely positive. It has challenged me, supported my growth and provided excellent preparation for a future career within the specialty, while allowing me to work with a fantastic group of colleagues across the region."
Manveer Chinna, ST1 in Oral Surgery
"Entry into Specialty Training has given me a chance to build on my surgical skills and tackle challenging cases that I once would’ve shied away from. Working so far at Leeds Dental Institute, alongside experienced consultants and senior colleagues across the Oral Surgery and OMFS departments means I’ve gained a well-rounded experience, treating patients under local anaesthaesia, sedation and general anaesthesia. The post also involves participating in joint Orthodontic-Oral Surgery MDT clinics, which gives an insight into complex treatment planning for patients with impacted teeth affecting their aesthetics and function. There are plenty of opportunities to teach and supervise DCTs and BDS students. Seeing their progression in both skill and confidence has been one of the most rewarding parts of the role.
The regional study days allow for great networking opportunities between other registrars in the deanery. There’s also a lot of encouragement to attend the national conferences hosted by relevant associations, such as BAOS and ABAOMS, which helps trainees touch base with updates in the specialty and the vast amount of career opportunities within Oral Surgery."
Sophina Mahmood, Academic Clinical Fellow (ACF) and ST3 in Oral Surgery
“Undertaking an ACF post in Oral Surgery at Sheffield has been an excellent experience, providing opportunities to develop my academic, clinical, teaching and leadership skills. I have gained experience supporting a clinical trial, while also developing my own research project in dental education, within a supportive unit of clinicians and academics with expertise across a range of areas.
The post has enabled me to build my teaching portfolio through undergraduate clinical supervision, lectures, and involvement in examination and assessment. Training within a dental hospital environment has provided broad clinical exposure, including MDT working, specialist nerve injury clinics, and opportunities to collaborate with other dental specialties.
In addition, wider regional opportunities, such as serving on the Yorkshire and Humber Trainee Executive Forum, have helped me develop insight into the wider training environment and contribute to trainee support and improvement.”