An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a regional specialist surgeon who treats the entire craniomaxillofacial complex anatomical area of the mouth jaws face and skull head and neck as well as associated structures depending upon the national jurisdiction oral and maxillofacial surgery may require a degree in medicine dentistry or both. They treat problems such as the extraction of wisdom teeth misaligned jaws tumors and cysts of the jaw and mouth and to perform dental implant surgery oral and maxillofacial surgery is a surgical specialty recognized by the american college of surgeons and is one of nine dental specialties recognized by the american dental association the royal college of dentists of canada and the royal australasian college of dental surgeons. Oral maxillofacial surgery founded as mund kiefer und gesichtschirurgie is a peer reviewed online journal it is designed for clinicians as well as researchers. Oral and maxillofacial surgery the advanced graduate education program in oral and maxillofacial surgery is a six year residency program leading to qualification for certification by the american board of oral and maxillofacial surgery completion of the md degree at harvard medical school and a total of 16 months as a mass general resident in