can dental students get free oral and maxillofacial surgery?

[logistical99]

One more question. If you are a student at a dental school affiliated with a major medical center, are you eligible for free oral and maxillofacial surgeries from dental/medical students and residents ( or better yet, attending OMF surgeons?)

I always wanted an oral surgery but I was never in the financial situation to do so and thus I'm wondering if the fact that I'll be a D1 this coming fall will give me an opportunity.

I know that students and residents can do an amateur job in OMFS but they would be doing the surgeries under the supervision of a clinical instructor so I feel all this is sufficient enough for the surgery I need.

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[DrJeff]

That depends on a number of factors. First off the school/department policy, so are ALOT more liberal than others about "taking care of their own". Secondly and often more importantly, how complicated is the surgery?? Is it a simple matter of a set of wisdom teeth which can be done in the oral surgery clinic under IV sedation, or is it more advanced such as orthognathic surgery to correct facial bony relationship discrepencies that would require the use of an operating room, general anesthesia, and a hospital bed for a couple of days of recovery. If its closer to the wisdom tooth scenario, you'll have a very good chance at most schools of having it done at no charge. If its closer to the orthagnathic surgery, you're going to see a bill (granted it will likely just be for the anesthesia/hospital stay).

Either way, when you get to dental school, get to know the Oral surgery faculty and more importantly the oral surgery residents, they'll be an in for you. And please don't go upto to them right away and say "Hi, my name is X, will you do a free surgery on me??" That will help you to see a bill no matter what. Get to know them first, then broach the subject.

 

[logistical99]

Please forgive me for my ignorance on this matter but is oral and maxillofacial surgery really what I think it is?

I was always hoping for a combination of eyelid, rhinoplasty, and cheekbone surgery. I also have a double chin and some blackheads on my face and I need surgeries for those too. Given my desire to correct the flat contour of my face, it appears that some facial bone reconstruction is necessary. ( And my teeth look yellow and there is a distinctive gap between one of my canines and incisors. But I will hold that off until I fix my more immediate problems )

I am embarassed to say that I need a lot of procedures done. Are these procedures all done by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon?

If I get to know attending oral surgeons, OMFS residents, and dental students and approach them about this, how likely is it I'll get all this or some of these for free or at a steep discount?

As long as there is a clinical instructor supervising, I don't mind being treated by a group of novice OMFS residents and 3rd/4th yr dental students.

Lastly, how much would all of these cost if I were to pay the price in full at a university medical center? What about at a private practice? Would there be any difference between getting treated by a med center surgeon as opposed to a surgeon in private practice? I'm guessing the costs would come around $2000 - $3500.

 

[pre_dental_Dana]

Everything you described that you need done is not done by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. It's considered plastic surgery. However, if you need orthognathic surgery, depending on what type of surgery you need, the surgery could make your face less flat. I have to have orthognathic surgery sometime next year, so I've been looking up the procedure on the internet. I would talk to an oral surgeon for info, as I might not be correct in what I wrote.

 

[Supernumerary]

Dude, Logistical, first you wanna change your name and now you want complete facial reconstruction? Are you running from the Feds or what?

BTW, to get all that stuff done would be AT LEAST 10x what you're estimating. 😉

 

[logistical99]

Supernumerary, this is not a joke. How would you feel if you had a pancake face that you couldn't fix because you don't have the money to afford it? I know it sounds funny reading such messages written by someone living thousands of miles away from you but it is all true and, as much as I hate to admit it, I have emotions that are typical of a real human being.

 

[Supernumerary]

Sorry, Logistical, didn't mean to hurt your feelings. But what you are talking about is some pretty major surgery and would cost tens of thousands of dollars. It is very unlikely that you will be able to get that kind of thing done through your school.

Plus there's nothing wrong with a flat face. I mean, who doesn't dig Asian chicks?

Are you Asian?

 

[logistical99]

Supernumerary, if I'm not mistaken, you are trying to become a dentist, aren't you? If so, I'm sure you realize that dentists are supposed to be kind, compassionate, and help people.

And I think the moment for practicing those traits in a dentist starts now.

Also, having a flat face is a very sensitive issue. A flat face is bad enough but calling me a chick makes it worse. To add insult to injury, you are now asking if I am Asian?

It's hard to understand if you don't have a pancake face but I feel it is a sight that is unpleasing to look at, so much that I don't want to look in the mirror. There is no humor in this and I cannot understand why you find it so funny.

 

[Supernumerary]

I'm not calling you a chick. Just giving an example of attractive people with flat faces. I bet Tinkerbell's got a rather flat face, and I can tell from her posts that she is super fine.

And it's not an insult to be Asian, is it?

Anyhow, I'm sorry again if I was too lighthearted about your question. Sometimes it's hard to tell online the exact mood of someone's posts. I think both of us are probably slightly misinterpreting each other's posts. 🙂 Truce? 😉

 

[Frank Cavitation]

>To add insult to injury, you are now asking if I am Asian?

whoa hey, how racist is that? Should I be embarrassed to be an Asian? Because that's such an insult to the human race? logistical99, if you were the dictator of the US you'd probably round up all us yella people and send us off to camps where Michael Jackson's surgeon would "lighten us up" and then give us WASP sounding names.

F.C (luckily not living in the states)

 

[mightymolar]

Originally posted by logistical99
I was always hoping for a combination of eyelid, rhinoplasty, and cheekbone surgery. I also have a double chin and some blackheads on my face and I need surgeries for those too. Given my desire to correct the flat contour of my face, it appears that some facial bone reconstruction is necessary. ( And my teeth look yellow and there is a distinctive gap between one of my canines and incisors. But I will hold that off until I fix my more immediate problems )

.........

I'm guessing the costs would come around $2000 - $3500.

RFV:

Eyelid
Rhinoplasty
Cheekbone surgery
Double chin
Blackheads on face

C/C:

Flat contour of face
Yellow and discoloured teeth
Large noticeable diastema between canines and incisors

You are talking a major make over! I'm reminded of those TV shows "Extreme Make Over" where contestant(?) gets everything done for free (well, they have to be on public TV afterwards...).

I wouldn't advise anyone to jump straight into surgery because simply the patient requested it. Such major surgery will take a long long time to heal and not to mention side-effects.

Oral max fax surgeons don't usually do cosmetic work unless it involves gross facial deformities that would render daily life unbearable to the patient. For cosmetic details that involve major plastic work like YOU mentioned, you would definately have to go and seek a board certified plastic surgeon. Then it would be a multi-disciplinary approach. You would need to see the orthodontist as well if they are considering Le Fort osteotomies or BSSO. Psychologist may come in to evaluate and help you decided whether the cosmetic surgery is something that you really need or if there was some other underlying "problem". E.g. are you sure you will be completely happy if all of those chief complaints are met and "fixed"? Would you still be unhappy about something else?

You are talking about a major change. It won't be a simple 3 weeks surgery, recovery and boom, you're done case. Be prepared to spend at least 1-2 years with ortho etc..

Unless you volunteered to be a subject in a research (with full informed consent regarding possible side effects and complications) the chances of you getting a freebie from the surgeons would be slim. You know, it's their licence on the line as well as the School's responsibility. Then again, would you be prepared to go that far to get the surgery? Would you be prepared to accept it as it is if something went wrong?

It's a very complex treatment that you are talking about. I would go through the proper channels to find out what really would be involved with your case first even before bringing out the topic of "free treatment off the department of OMFS" or discounted treatment.

 

[logistical99]

Originally posted by Frank Cavitation
>To add insult to injury, you are now asking if I am Asian?

whoa hey, how racist is that? Should I be embarrassed to be an Asian?

Frank, there was nothing racist associated with my comments. I never said I was Asian and I just didn't want to be called Asian, especially on top of having a flat face. Is it wrong to say what I don't like being called?

Then again, what I probably find to be insulting might not be insulting to others due to personal differences. And the surgery I wanted has to do with altering facial features, not changing skin color.

 

[Supernumerary]

I read in a John Grisham novel that Brazil's the place to go for that sort of thing. Completely anonymous. And you know it's gotta be true if I read it in a book. 🙂