About Us

HISTORY

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) is a specialty which evolved over the last 60 years from a group of dental practitioners who were treating patients with facial fractures in collaboration with plastic surgeons, to its present form. Its consultants are trained in postgraduate general and oral surgery with a Fellowship diploma. They manage patients with diverse and complex problems within a well-defined anatomical area. Apart from dento-alveolar surgery and facial fractures, oral and maxillofacial surgeons are now expected to manage congenital craniofacial deformities, including cleft lip and palate, all oral and facial trauma, oral and facial cancers with reconstruction using local flaps and microvascular free tissue transfer. Other areas are management of salivary gland disease, temporomandibular joint disorders and surgical management of complex prosthodontic problems.

The department of Oral and maxillofacial Surgery of the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria , Enugu Campus has existed since 1983 with the renown Maxillofacial Surgeon Prof. Alagumba Nwoku as the founding father and head of the department. His stay was short and in 1989 Prof. Chima Oji took over as the head of the department. He was succeeded by Dr. C.C. Uguru followed by Dr. Uche Mgbeokwere. The new head of the department now is Dr. Mark Nwoga. The department at a point experienced dearth of consultant but by 2005 and 2006 was able to train 2 resident doctors to consultant level to complement the other consultants in the unit. At present there are 4 consultants in the unit including an oral pathologist Dr. Mark C. Nwoga. We have also 7 resident doctors in the unit, 6 registrars and a senior registrar. The department as it is has the capacity of training medical and dental students and resident doctors in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Because of the burden of diseases in Nigeria and other African countries especially in areas of oro-facial lesion, our vision is to support and promote patient care, teaching, and research activities while collaborating and networking effectively with other institutions alike across the world in order to build a department that will not only achieve our mission but outlive us. The department, despite the dearth of personnel has contributed immensely to academic excellence in the filed of maxillofacial surgery research and practice across the world. We have publish several articles internationally that have added recognition to our department and University with one of such research rated amongst 25 hottest articles in international journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery in 2008. With our belief in team work we have no doubt the department at its present form is set on the part of constructing history for posterity as we develop our academic potentials.

STUDENT POPULATION

Currently, our students has increased and as clinical department, we conduct clinical examinations to our 3rd years, 4th years, 5th year and final year students.

Activities:

In accordance with the NUC’s guideline, the Department is committed to maintaining of the Minimum Academic Standards. It is fully aligned with the Faculty, the College and the University, in all activities and programmes.

In the department, peace reigns, interactions amongst staff both academic and non-academic staff and students at large. The department offers courses in Oral Surgery, Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, Oral Diagnosis, Oral Radiology and Dental Anaesthesia.

Clinics

The Department runs an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery clinic in the Affiliate Teaching Hospital (UNTH) at Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu. All the academic staff in the department are honorary clinical consultants to the hospital and engage in teaching, research and providing dental services at stipulated days. The oral and maxillofacial pathologists interprete and reports the histopathological specimens and is also set to run the Facial Pain Clinic starting soon.

   Curriculum: ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL surgery CONTENT:

  1. Importance of History taking, patient examination and diagnosis
  2. Examination of Head and Neck swelling/biopsies
  3. Role of systemic diseases in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  4. Local Anaesthesia – Demonstration of Techniques and Complication
  5. Extraction of teeth and roots
  6. Complication of extractions.
  7. Management of unerupted and impacted teeth
  8. Management of haemorrhage in oral surgery.
  9. Healing of fractures and extraction wounds.
  10. The use of drugs in oral surgery.
  11. Important of maxillary antrum in oral surgery.
  12. Diagnosis and treatment of cysts of the jaw
  13. Diagnosis and management of fractures of the mandible.
  14. Diagnosis and management of fractures of the middle third of the facial skeleton
  15. Salivary gland tumours and their management
  16. Diagnosis of the temporo-mandibular joints.
  17. Inflammatory diseases of bone
  18. Bone disorders.
  19. Surgical aid to Endodontics
  20. Some common tumours of the jaws and their management.
  21. Oro-facial infection and their management
  22. Introduction to jaw deformitting and their management
  23. Surgical management of cleft lip and palate
  24. Plastic surgery; skin grafting, treatment of scars, keloids.
  25. Preprosthetic surgery. An introductory lecture.
  26. Management and care of patients with maxillo-facial injury.