General description of the work of a Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
The Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon deals with dental surgery and surgery on the jaw and nearby structures such as the salivary and parotid glands. He/she may deal with dental implants, temporo-mandibular joint problems, facial injuries and malignancies of the head and neck.

Most common clinical areas / procedures leading to a claim of clinical negligence
• dental implants and dental extractions/operations
• problems with dental bridges and crowns
• delay in diagnosis of cancer of the salivary glands
• mismanagement of malignancies of the face or neck


Sub-Specialities / Alternative and Additional job titles
Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are usually qualified Dentists as well as qualified Doctors specialising in Surgery.


Usual Qualifications
The Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon will usually be known as Mr rather than Dr and will have BDS (primary dental qualification) as well as FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons) after his/her name.


Academic Appointments
The Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon may be a Lecturer or Professor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at a Medical or Dental School. He/She may be an Examiner for one of the Royal Colleges.


Our Experts
The Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons who prepare reports on medical and dental negligence cases on our behalf are all experienced NHS Consultants. They are in active clinical practice and they are experienced at preparing medico-legal reports. They are willing to attend Court in the UK and Ireland provided that they are given enough notice and that their fees and expenses for attending are agreed in advance.
Each of the Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons who prepare reports on our behalf has particular areas of clinical interest within his/her practice and we match each case with the most appropriate Consultant.


The Report
The Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons prepare their Reports for the benefit of the Courts. In other words, they prepare unbiased Reports in order to help the Court to decide the case, rather than to help one side or the other.
The Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons examine all the documentation and details of the case and look at the standard of care that the Client received. They then give their opinion on whether or not the standard of care that the Client received fell below the standard of care he/she should have received.
Where necessary they provide background documentation and information to back-up their opinion.


Documentation required
The most important documentation is the Client’s Dental and Hospital Records. This documentation will usually contain their Dentists’ Records, Operation Records, Nursing Records, Out-Patient Clinic Records and Correspondence.
There is likely to be X-rays and/or CT or MRI scans. If these are related to the event in dispute then copies of these will be needed by the Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon when he/she is preparing his/her Report.
An account of events by the Client and/or the Client’s family will be of assistance to the Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. Copies of the Client’s Attendances with their Solicitor will also help to clarify the areas of care that are at issue in the case.


Time-scale for the Report
Once we have confirmation to proceed with the Report the Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons can usually prepare their Reports within 8 to 10 weeks. If a Report is needed urgently we will endeavour to have it prepared sooner than this.


Price of the Report
Once we receive all the documentation we will provide you with a quotation for the price of the Report from the Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. If you decide to go ahead with the Report we will have it prepared and we will forward it to you on receipt of payment.
If you decide not to go ahead with the Report after receiving the quotation we will return all the documentation to you and there is no charge.


Queries on the Report / Addendums
The Reports from the Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are usually very clear and give a concise opinion on the standard of care the Client received.
If minor clarifications are needed then these will be provided at no extra cost.
If, after the Report has been completed, additional documentation needs to be examined by the Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon or if additional work needs to be done in order to provide an Addendum to the Report, then there may be an additional charge. If so, we will inform you of this and only proceed with your approval.


Client Examination
The Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons do not normally need to see the Client in order to prepare a Report on the standard of care he/she has received. They can usually prepare their Report from the case notes and other documentation.
If the case does progress and a Report is needed on the Client’s current medical condition and/or prognosis for the future, then it is likely that the Client will need to see the Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon for an examination and we can make the necessary arrangements.