Our department treats tumors, inflammations, malformations and other conditions of the face, mouth and jaw area, such as TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) and xerostomia (dry mouth).

 

Roughly 60% of the 2,400 patients we treat each year have been referred to us by doctors or dentists. We frequently treat patients as part of a interdisciplinary team, frequently involving departments such as ENT (ear, nose, throat), general surgery, internal medicine, plastic surgery, radiology and rehabilitation. In order to make consultations as easy as possible for the patient, we frequently have the referring dentists handle pre- and post-operative care for the patient, or depend on referring physicians to manage underlying causes of the conditions we treat. In addition, post-operative monitoring and follow-up is also carried out in collaboration with referring doctors and dentists. While we do treat patients without referrals as well, in order to provide the best and smoothest overall care program, we encourage patients to seek treatment with their local dentist or doctor first before visiting our hospital.

 

We perform about 120 procedures per year under general anesthesia. Typical examples would be invasive surgery to remove of benign tumors, repair damage to the jaw or facial bones as a result of traffic-accident related trauma, reduce inflammation due to major infections of the region, or correct TMD or other jaw alignment problems. For malignant tumors, we work with interdisciplinary teams (plastic surgery, therapeutic radiology, etc.) to address post-op reconstruction and treatment issues following removal.

 

Our most common outpatient procedures include treatment of deeply impacted teeth and the removal of problematic teeth for patients with multiple conditions. In many cases, we can treat patients who are taking anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation or stroke without requiring them to temporarily suspend their medication.  

 

For patients taking bisphosphonates to treat osteoporosis or malignant tumors, we perform invasive procedures depending on the circumstances of their condition. We also perform dental implant procedures as well as the pre-implant preparation of the jaw bone when circumstances recommend it.  

 

Working with patients under the concept of “informed consent” is our priority, and we take time to explain both their condition and proposed treatment to each patient with care.  We also encourage patients to seek second opinions if so desired, and will provide full records so that outside consultations can be done smoothly.  We encourage anyone with any concerns about pain or other problems of their face and jaw area to consult with us.