Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

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Expert Treatment for Mouth and Facial Disorders

Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport’s oral and maxillofacial surgeons are leaders in their field. As a teaching hospital, our physicians are on the cutting edge of oral and maxillofacial surgery research.

Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport’s oral and maxillofacial surgeons are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of:

Cleft lip and palate, as well as other cleft and craniofacial (head and face) conditions
Conditions and injuries that involve the maxillomandibular complex (MMC), the upper and lower jaws
Cosmetic deformities of the face, head and neck
Dentofacial deformities
Diseases of the oral cavity
Facial deformities
Facial trauma
Head and neck cancer
Head and neck infections
Plastic and reconstructive surgery
Sleep apnea and snoring, which we can treat with robotic uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) surgery
Surgical management of the complex airway
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and other conditions
Tumors and cancers of the head and neck area, including oral cancer

As an academic teaching hospital, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport gives you access to some of the premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the country. You will receive exceptional care, without exception. They will explain what to expect before, during and after your procedure.

Oral and Maxillofacial Conditions We Treat

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons remove impacted, damaged and nonrestorable teeth. They also provide sophisticated, safe and effective anesthesia services in their offices, including intravenous (IV) sedation and general anesthesia.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons, in close collaboration with restorative dentists, help plan and place implants used to replace missing teeth. They can also reconstruct bone for implant placement and modify gingival (gum) tissue surrounding implants when necessary to make teeth placed on implants look even more natural.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons manage patients with benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous) cysts and tumors of the oral and facial regions. Severe infections of the oral cavity, salivary glands, jaws and neck are also treated.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons correct jaw, facial bone, and facial soft tissue problems left as a result of previous trauma or removal of pathology. This surgery to restore form and function often includes moving skin, bone, nerves and other tissues from other parts of the body to reconstruct the jaws and face. These same skills are also used when oral and maxillofacial surgeons perform cosmetic procedures for improvement of problems due to unwanted facial features or aging.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of facial pain disorders, including those due to TMJ problems.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are skilled in the surgical management of patients with a complex airway, which refers to a range of benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous) conditions of the path air takes to flow into the lungs. Various conditions can predispose individuals to airway compromise, which necessitates immediate surgical intervention. These can include:

Congenital (present from birth) defects of the neck and airway
Deep neck space infection
Epiglottitis (inflammation of the epiglottis, the flap that prevents food from entering your trachea [windpipe])
Foreign body obstruction
Neck trauma

The most common surgical interventions performed include tracheotomy (an incision in the trachea to allow breathing) and/or cricothyroidotomy (an emergency incision in the neck to allow breathing).