Judge a wisdom tooth's position
Scan jaw images for a wisdom tooth causing trouble now or likely later, and decide whether to treat.
Career profile
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
Oral surgeons, dental specialists, operate on jaws and faces, from impacted wisdom teeth to injuries.
A bad bite sometimes starts with where a whole jaw sits. Choosing which parts shift, planning with an orthodontist, then operating may make chewing easier.
A day in the life
Remove an impacted tooth
With surgical tools, you take out a tooth that is stuck and cannot come in normally.
Plan jaw surgery with an orthodontist
Set images beside tooth models with an orthodontist and pick a jaw position that lines up the bite.
Give anesthesia for surgery
You numb the site, sedate the patient or give general anesthesia, work that fills much of your training.
Quick facts
Dental degree + surgical residency
United States
$352,220/year
United States · May 2025
5.6% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Dental degree + surgical residencyA professional dental degree is followed by a four- to six-year oral and maxillofacial surgery residency.
Pay
$352,220/yearNational median employee wage; the hourly equivalent is $169.34.
Outlook
5.6% projected growthAbout 200 openings per year are projected nationally for oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy precise handwork in a small space.
- You like connecting a flat image to a three-dimensional shape.
- You can explain an unfamiliar procedure patiently to someone who is nervous.
Things to weigh
- Your decisions carry serious consequences; an error during surgery can harm a patient.
- Standing and bending over a small working area can make the work physically tiring.
- Residency brings long hours and emergency-room call for facial injuries, alongside clinics and studying.
Where AI may help
For some jaw operations, software lets you rehearse bone movements on a three-dimensional model. Printed guides help transfer that plan to surgery.
What people still lead
You still choose the treatment with the patient, coordinate with the orthodontist and carry out the operation.
What we can’t predict yet
How much of planning software will automate remains uncertain, especially when a patient’s anatomy requires changes to a proposed plan.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median is $352,220 a year, equivalent to $169.34 an hour. That describes employed surgeons across experience levels.
The national spread is wide
In May 2025, the 10th-percentile annual wage was $86,250 and the 90th-percentile wage was $622,640. These mark positions in the wage distribution, not starting and senior salaries.
Hours and practice circumstances matter
Location, hours worked and years in practice can affect earnings. These employee wage figures exclude self-employed surgeons, so they do not describe a practice owner’s business income.
Openings include replacement needs
Employment is projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 200 openings annually on average. Openings include replacing people who leave the occupation, as well as growth.
Getting started
Complete a four-year surgical residency
Four years after dental school.
- What the route involves
- Train in clinics and hospitals with faculty supervision, studying surgery and medicine while treating patients.
- What it can lead to
- Earn a certificate in oral and maxillofacial surgery and complete the specialty training for this route.
Combine residency with a medical degree
Six years after dental school in an integrated program.
- What the route involves
- Combine oral and maxillofacial surgery training with medical school and general surgery training.
- What it can lead to
- Earn a Doctor of Medicine degree and a surgical specialty certificate. Graduates can pursue the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery examination process; graduation itself is not board certification.
Both routes begin with dental school, usually after a bachelor’s degree and required science courses. Earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine degree, then enter surgical residency. Dental licensure requires the Integrated National Board Dental Examination and your state’s other requirements, including its clinical assessment pathway. Check the state dental board for specialty and anesthesia permissions.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Build reliable treatment plans and clear communication with the dentists who refer patients to you.
Keep developing
Use continuing anesthesia education and simulation to sharpen how you respond when a procedure becomes complicated.
Focus your surgical practice
A fellowship after residency can deepen your skills in areas such as head and neck cancer surgery or surgery for children with cleft and facial conditions.
Where you can work
Oral surgery office
You can remove wisdom teeth and provide anesthesia in the office. The treatment space must support both the operation and the anesthesia care.
- Indoors
- Office
- Safety-sensitive
Hospital surgical service
Corrective jaw operations bring you into an operating room, with some patients staying in the hospital afterward. Planning also connects your work with the patient’s orthodontist.
- Indoors
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Use a labeled skull-and-teeth diagram to compare a trapped wisdom tooth with a misaligned jaw. Sketch which structures each problem involves, then write two questions you would ask the surgeon about planning treatment. Notice whether the spatial puzzle makes you curious.
Stay safe: Use an educational diagram; this is an anatomy exercise, not a way to diagnose yourself or someone else.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 29-1022.00 — Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates — SOC 29-1022. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2025–2035 — SOC 29-1022. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Dentists. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Residency/M.D.. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Dental Association. Dental licensure. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Dental Board of California. General Anesthesia Permits — Dentist. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Mayo Clinic. Jaw surgery. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Anesthesia. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Management of Wisdom Teeth. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Life as an OMS Resident. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. OMS Fellowship Opportunities. Accessed 2026-10-09.