Day in the life
A Day in the Life of an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
What oral and maxillofacial surgeons actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for an oral and maxillofacial surgeon?
Remove four wisdom teeth under sedation. From there, the day usually includes remove impacted teeth, place dental implants, and perform jaw surgery. Most work full-time with some hospital call for trauma and emergencies.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for an oral and maxillofacial surgeon working full time.
- Remove four wisdom teeth under sedation.
- Place two dental implants.
- Consult on a patient with jaw pain.
- Review a CT scan for implant planning.
- Operate in the hospital on a jaw fracture.
- See post-op patients.
- Return calls and review cases.
Where oral and maxillofacial surgeons work
Oral surgeons work in private surgical offices and hospitals, including trauma call.
Hours and schedule
Most work full-time with some hospital call for trauma and emergencies.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Remove impacted teeth
- Place dental implants
- Perform jaw surgery
- Repair facial injuries
- Treat oral infections and tumors
- Give sedation and anesthesia
- Coordinate care with dentists and orthodontists
Tools you’ll use every day
- Surgical instruments
- Cone beam CT
- Implant systems
- Sedation monitors
- Surgical drills
- Practice software
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Among the highest-paid jobs
- Surgical variety
- Respected specialty
- Strong demand for implants
What’s hard
- Very long training
- High-stakes surgery and anesthesia
- On-call duty
- High debt during training
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I want to do surgery
- I have excellent hand skills
- I stay calm under pressure
- I can commit to long training
- I want top earnings
- I like both dentistry and medicine
Not sure? Take the free Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Follow anesthesia monitoring standards
- Keep emergency drugs ready
- Use sterile surgical technique
- Protect nerves during surgery