The Oral and Maxillofacial department is based across two sites. Outpatient clinics are held at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup. You may have surgery either at the, Queen Mary’s Hospital, Princess Royal University Hospital or King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill.

We work with a number of other services to treat patients with:

• dental and facial deformities who need orthognathic (jaw) surgery
• mouth and face cancers
• head and neck skin cancers
• impacted teeth and other mouth problems affecting tooth eruption
• sleep apnoea (interrupted breathing during sleep)
• tooth and face injuries.

Orthodontics

We provide a highly specialised orthodontic service for adults and children. We work with the oral and maxillofacial, restorative dentistry, ear, nose and throat (ENT) and respiratory services to provide care and treatment. The service is based at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup.
We treat conditions including:

• teeth and jaw development problems in children
• severely crowded and unerupted teeth
• missing teeth
• incorrect bites
• severe facial disproportion in adults
• sleep apnoea (interrupted breathing during sleep)
• cleft lip, palate and craniofacial (head and face) problems.

Preparing for your appointment

• Referrals to our service are made by your GP or dentist.
• You must be registered with a dentist who has agreed to provide you with routine dental care while you are having specialist orthodontic treatment.
• Please bring with you any x-rays of your teeth or jaws taken within the past 12 months.

Oral medicine

We diagnose and treat mouth and jaw conditions that do not need surgery. We see patients with suspected oral cancer within two weeks of referral.

Conditions we treat include:

• abnormalities of the lining of your mouth
• white or red or pigmented patches
• lumps and bumps
• ulcers
• pain in your face, jaw or mouth
• mouth dryness and salivary gland disorders.

We do not treat common dental disorders such as tooth and gum disease or mouth trauma/injuries.

We are also carry out research such as:

• oral cancer in young people and the care they receive
• oral cancer screening tests
• using laser technology to remove precancerous sores (oral leukoplakia).

Preparing for your appointment

Please bring the following to your first appointment:

• a completed medical history form
• the name and address of your GP and dentist
• a list of your medications.

Restorative Dentistry

We treat a wide range of patients, including those:

• who have or have had oral cancer
• with congenital dental abnormalities such as hypodontia
• with mouth and face injuries.

We offer specialist services not provided by general dentists, including:

• Prosthodontics – where we replace lost or missing teeth using fixed and/or removable devices such as bridges, implants and dentures.
• Periodontology – where we repair the damage caused by disease in your gums and the bones that support your teeth, and prevent further damage.