Public perception of oral and maxillofacial surgery among the general population: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) as a dental speciality has broadened its scope and practices in the past few decades. However, the general public at large are oblivious to the developments made within this field. Our study aims to throw light on the poor recognition of OMFS among the general population of India. Materials and Methods: An online survey involving 400 participants (209 males and 191 females; aged from 18-80), chosen at random from different parts of South India, was conducted. The participants were asked to choose the specialist they would approach for certain clinical scenarios based on their knowledge. Result: About 28.3% of the participants have heard about the OMFS speciality and are aware about the treatments they offer. Orthodontists were preferred over OMF surgeons even for wisdom tooth extractions. However, OMFS was the preferred speciality for the treatment of facial bone and jaw fractures. Conclusion: About 71.7% of the participants in our study were unaware about the scope and practices of the OMFS speciality. The general public are familiar with other dental specialities over OMFS. Improving the quality and safety of health care worldwide through the advancement of patient care, education and research in OMFS are the mission of the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (IAOMS). The awareness of the public about our speciality and the treatments that we offer is an utmost necessity to achieve this mission. Our study is in line with this goal. We believe we can expand the reach of OMFS into the minds of the common people.