What is the difference between an oral surgeon and a maxillofacial surgeon?

The terms overlap. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained in surgery of the mouth, jaws and face, from difficult extractions to jaw injuries.

Do I need a referral to see Dr Sai Santosh?

No. You can call either clinic directly. If your dentist has given you X-rays or a letter, please bring them along.

Will my surgery be at the clinic or in a hospital?

Smaller procedures are done in our minor operation theatre, and larger ones are planned in a hospital setting. Your plan will state which applies.

What should I bring to a consultation?

Bring any X-rays, scans, reports and a list of your medicines. Tell us about blood thinners, diabetes medicines, heart conditions or past head and neck radiotherapy.

Maxillofacial Surgeon in Vijayawada

Few people know they need a maxillofacial surgeon in Vijayawada until a dentist, a doctor or an accident sends them looking for one. This specialty sits where dentistry and surgery meet. It covers the jaws, the face and the mouth, and its surgeons train for years beyond a dental degree. Here is what they do, when you need one, and who leads this work at GIA Clinics.

What a maxillofacial surgeon treats

Facial injuries and jaw fractures after falls, road accidents or sports
Cysts and growths in the jaw
Jaw joint (TMJ) problems
Impacted teeth and complex extractions
Jaw position problems that affect the bite
Facial deformity, including changes after tumour removal or infection such as black fungus

When a dentist will refer you

Your dentist may send you on if a tooth is deeply impacted or close to a nerve, or if an X-ray shows something unexpected in the bone. A lump, patch or ulcer in the mouth that needs a biopsy is another reason. Do not be alarmed by a referral. It usually means your dentist wants the right person to look.

Dr Sai Santosh

Dr Sai Santosh is the Chief Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgeon at GIA Clinics, with 14 years of practice. He holds an MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from M R Ambedkar Dental College, Bengaluru, and completed a cranio-maxillofacial fellowship at Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore. He also consults for hospitals in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati.

Where the surgery takes place

Smaller procedures are done in the clinic's minor operation theatre, usually under local anaesthesia. Larger operations are planned in a hospital setting under general anaesthesia. An OPG X-ray is taken in-house, and CT scans are arranged when more detail is needed. You get a written plan that explains the surgery, the anaesthesia, the recovery and the alternatives.

An important exception

After a head injury with loss of consciousness, vomiting or confusion, go to a hospital emergency team first. Facial repair can follow once you are safe.

Seeing Dr Sai

Consultations run at both clinics from 12:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Call or WhatsApp Gunadala on 090772 93949 or Gurunanak Colony on 092814 93949.