Not sure whether to go into OMS or Perio

[TSDentSurg]

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Hi guys!

Well, as you've been hearing, I recently had a very interesting case (hope and pray she does alright) that involved me assisting in both a periodontal surgery (GBR) and an OMS surgery (radical alveolectomy and debridement). I'm trying to decide whether to go into OMS or Perio.

Reasons I think I'd enjoy Perio:

1. Usually healthy patients
2. Short outpatient surgeries
3. Research in the field is very interdisciplinary, and lots of immunology (I fell in love with that in undergrad)
4. Good money with implants

Reasons I think I'd enjoy OMS:

1. Complex patients (trauma, infections, cancer)
2. Interesting surgeries and anatomy
3. Option of going into facial cosmetic surgery or surgical oncology
4. Good money in implants and third molars

Now, I know that if you have any doubts about going into a surgical residency, you shouldn't. So perhaps (once I graduate and get my DDS/DMD in an IDP), before Perio residency, I should either do an OMS-heavy GPR, or an OMS internship.

I would like to be able to take care of my own post-surgical complications, instead of having to dump on OMS...they have enough work to do without having to fix every other dental surgeon's post-op issues.

Thanks,
Lexi

 

[avangusva]

You can do everything a periodontist does as an oral surgeon.

However,

You cannot do everything an oral surgeon does as a periodontist.

Is the extra 1 year (or potentially 3 years, and an MD degree) worth it? I would think, yes! Also, when you say that OMS patients are generally complex (infection, cancer, etc), that will only probably be the case in your residency. If you decide to pursue an implant and extraction type oral surgery practice, you'll likely be seeing healthy 16-20 year olds for extractions and relatively wealthy patients who are looking for implants.

When you say that you would like the option of facial cosmetic surgery or surgical oncology, that alone tells me that 100% an extra year (or three) in an oral surgery is well worth it. It will give you the opportunity to explore that a bit more. Don't waste your time with a 1 year GPR/intern year then potentially do an addition 3 years for perio. 3+1=4 and that's all you would need for a single degree OMS.

It seems like a no-brainer for me. If I were you, AND competitive for either speciality, I would go for the oral surgery residency.

 

[Tufts R Us]

Not to mention omfs residencies are paid

 

[TSDentSurg]

You can do everything a periodontist does as an oral surgeon.

However,

You cannot do everything an oral surgeon does as a periodontist.

Is the extra 1 year (or potentially 3 years, and an MD degree) worth it? I would think, yes! Also, when you say that OMS patients are generally complex (infection, cancer, etc), that will only probably be the case in your residency. If you decide to pursue an implant and extraction type oral surgery practice, you'll likely be seeing healthy 16-20 year olds for extractions and relatively wealthy patients who are looking for implants.

When you say that you would like the option of facial cosmetic surgery or surgical oncology, that alone tells me that 100% an extra year (or three) in an oral surgery is well worth it. It will give you the opportunity to explore that a bit more. Don't waste your time with a 1 year GPR/intern year then potentially do an addition 3 years for perio. 3+1=4 and that's all you would need for a single degree OMS.

It seems like a no-brainer for me. If I were you, AND competitive for either speciality, I would go for the oral surgery residency.

I'm still going to think about it...I'm two whole years from graduating. I think I may go for OMS.

Facial cosmetic surgery really interests me, especially facial feminization surgery...I am SO insecure about my facial features making me look like a boy, even though it is apparently all in my head according to my friends and colleagues. I am so glad the wonderful OMS Dr Douglas K. Ousterhout invented the concept to feminize masculine faces. I'd really love to help other tgirls with that.

And surgical oncology is pretty cool. I'm still wondering how ENT got their hands on oral cancer cases...

It's just that I'm worried about my FTD status making me non-competitive for OMS. I am a US citizen though. I'll need to do the IDP to be able to practice in most states, do OMS programs look down upon IDP grads?

 

[TSDentSurg]

Not to mention omfs residencies are paid

I know.

 

[7 Iron]

The types of questions you've been posting recently lead me to believe you would really enjoy perio residency. In fact, for a while I thought you were already in one!

 

[TSDentSurg]

The types of questions you've been posting recently lead me to believe you would really enjoy perio residency. In fact, for a while I thought you were already in one!

I'm sure I would enjoy Perio, but OMS is also really cool.

You thought I was a Perio resident? Really? Why?

 

[7 Iron]

Yeah, I thought you were, because my school would never let a dental student do a bone graft procedure. They save that stuff for the perio residents. They let us assist on that stuff of course though. It's the same with placing implants.

 

[TSDentSurg]

Yeah, I thought you were, because my school would never let a dental student do a bone graft procedure. They save that stuff for the perio residents. They let us assist on that stuff of course though. It's the same with placing implants.

I didn't do the procedure either, I was assisting as well. I wasn't the one who harvested and placed the graft.

 

[Koalafied]

Hi guys!

Well, as you've been hearing, I recently had a very interesting case (hope and pray she does alright) that involved me assisting in both a periodontal surgery (GBR) and an OMS surgery (radical alveolectomy and debridement). I'm trying to decide whether to go into OMS or Perio.

Reasons I think I'd enjoy Perio:

1. Usually healthy patients
2. Short outpatient surgeries
3. Research in the field is very interdisciplinary, and lots of immunology (I fell in love with that in undergrad)
4. Good money with implants

Reasons I think I'd enjoy OMS:

1. Complex patients (trauma, infections, cancer)👍👍 Plenty of pus, lots of it.
2. Interesting surgeries and anatomy👍👍👍👍 Best suits multi faceted individuals with multi faceted tastes, yes!!!
3. Option of going into facial cosmetic surgery or surgical oncology👍 Cleft lip and palate.
4. Good money in implants and third molars Don't really care.

Now, I know that if you have any doubts about going into a surgical residency, you shouldn't. So perhaps (once I graduate and get my DDS/DMD in an IDP), before Perio residency, I should either do an OMS-heavy GPR, or an OMS internship.

I would like to be able to take care of my own post-surgical complications, instead of having to dump on OMS...they have enough work to do without having to fix every other dental surgeon's post-op issues.

Thanks,
Lexi

Like post #2 suggests.

I've seen OMFS's effortlessly extract complex-third molars in under 15 minutes, pain-free.

Me personally: OMFS hands down. It's an exhilarating adventure; be it a traveling OMFS, hospital OMFS, pp OMFS, and/or etc. More feminine faces would be beautiful. Longer but worth every dripping second.👍

Good luck.🙂