oral surgeon office

JDPBSN · May 22, 2011

Hi there, I am an RN in OMFS. A couple of things I could share with you. My background before the RN was in dental and OMFS—so, I feel at home working with the head and neck having years of experience.

You would have to check with your states BON and BOD on the regulations of the RN in OMFS. OMFS is a dental specialty, although it encompasses much of medicine and surgery. In some states RN’s cannot take orders from DDS/DMD’s. If the person you are looking to work with has a dual degree; DDS/ DMD, MD then you would be fine, but check with the boards.

As far as duties and job description: it is a dental specialty, so you would have to become well versed in dentistry—it is the foundation of the practice. Procedures include first assisting in removal of wisdom teeth, extractions, apicoectomies (surgical root canals), orofacial orthopedics, maxillary and mandibular jaw reconstruction, TMJ treatments, oral oncology/ biopsies, dental implants, facial trauma, clefts and cosmetic facial surgery. If you are queasy with blood and open anatomy, this may not be a road to travel down.

OMFS’s deliver there their own anesthesia. Duties include prepping the patient for surgery, IV initiation, health histories and physical exams, delivery of fluids, invasive monitoring, IV drug administration, recovery of patient, discharge instructions and follow-ups.

Other duties include: changing dressings, removal of sutures, lines and drains. You would have to be ACLS/ PALS certified and obtain an IV sedation certification.

The pay is pretty good. I do both hourly and per case for the sedations. Hourly $32 and per sedation $50. What I mean by this is: if I am not there a full day (8 hours) doing other things, I get hourly but if there is only a sedation or two, I just bill for the sedation and leave when I am done. I work in private practice, paid vacation and benefits. Having both dental and nursing backgrounds would allow for a greater compensation.

It is a great specialty. Truly, none like it. I will say, it is much different than traditional bedside nursing and often RN’s may feel a bit lost, due to being in a “dental” world. You will feel pretty autonomous and with training and time it will come easy and fun!

I hope this helps!

WarmBlanket · May 23, 2011

Hi dragonfly ! The post from JDPBSN was excellent. I worked for an Oral and Maxillofacial group as a surgical technician and then became a Registered Nurse. My Oral Surgery position was the foundation of my 25+ years in nursing. The work taught me the importance of professionalism and communication. Some patients required numerous visits , the opportunity to make a positive difference is wonderful. I enjoyed my work - Good Luck !

Guest505077 · May 23, 2011

Thank you for your comments, I find them helpful

RNerica12 · May 10, 2015

So glad to come across this. I am interested in a position in a oral surgery facility. I was curious about what types of responsibilities the positions would require and more about it in general. There doesn't seem to be much into about this field of nursing on the Internet. This was very helpful. THANK YOU!!!

Lauren v · Jun 23, 2023

JDPBSN said:

Hi there, I am an RN in OMFS. A couple of things I could share with you. My background before the RN was in dental and OMFS—so, I feel at home working with the head and neck having years of experience.

You would have to check with your states BON and BOD on the regulations of the RN in OMFS. OMFS is a dental specialty, although it encompasses much of medicine and surgery. In some states RN's cannot take orders from DDS/DMD's. If the person you are looking to work with has a dual degree; DDS/ DMD, MD then you would be fine, but check with the boards.

As far as duties and job description: it is a dental specialty, so you would have to become well versed in dentistry—it is the foundation of the practice. Procedures include first assisting in removal of wisdom teeth, extractions, apicoectomies (surgical root canals), orofacial orthopedics, maxillary and mandibular jaw reconstruction, TMJ treatments, oral oncology/ biopsies, dental implants, facial trauma, clefts and cosmetic facial surgery. If you are queasy with blood and open anatomy, this may not be a road to travel down.

OMFS's deliver there their own anesthesia. Duties include prepping the patient for surgery, IV initiation, health histories and physical exams, delivery of fluids, invasive monitoring, IV drug administration, recovery of patient, discharge instructions and follow-ups.

Other duties include: changing dressings, removal of sutures, lines and drains. You would have to be ACLS/ PALS certified and obtain an IV sedation certification.

The pay is pretty good. I do both hourly and per case for the sedations. Hourly $32 and per sedation $50. What I mean by this is: if I am not there a full day (8 hours) doing other things, I get hourly but if there is only a sedation or two, I just bill for the sedation and leave when I am done. I work in private practice, paid vacation and benefits. Having both dental and nursing backgrounds would allow for a greater compensation.

It is a great specialty. Truly, none like it. I will say, it is much different than traditional bedside nursing and often RN's may feel a bit lost, due to being in a "dental" world. You will feel pretty autonomous and with training and time it will come easy and fun!

I hope this helps!

Did you do X-rays at your facility? If so were you able to as a nurse under the supervision of doctor?

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