BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT
The department was founded following the enactment of an edict establishing the University of Benin in 1971. The old name of the department was oral surgery and pathology. The name was changed to oral and maxillofacial surgery in 2017 when the old department was split into oral and maxillofacial surgery and oral pathology and medicine. Prof. A Ejide was the first Head of Department and indeed the first Dean of the School of Dentistry. The Departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is one of the Departments in the School of Dentistry. It offers fellowship degrees in both West African College of Surgeons and Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College. The department was established in 2017 when the department of oral surgery was split into Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Medicine. The current Head of Department is
Dr. Edetanlen Benlance Ekaniyere (BDS, MSc, FWACS)
The department of oral and maxillofacial surgery is responsible for didactic and clinical teaching in oral and maxillofacial surgery, local dental anaesthesia and pain control for undergraduate dental students. We offer the most diverse and comprehensive residency training programs anywhere in the country with exposure to head and neck oncology, microvascular reconstructive surgery, trauma, orthognathic and facial cosmetic surgery. Through our research in head and neck cancer in Africa, we are exploring a new course in cancer genomics and treatment. There are various research groups in the department. Our faculties are leaders and alumni to several local, regional and international bodies like the Nigeria Postgraduate Medical College, West African College of Surgeons, IAOMS foundation, AOCMF and the department is the current host of the AO Study Club Nigeria event. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery has evolved slowly over the years from Oral/Dental Surgery, as a branch of Dentistry. Many of specialised procedures now incorporated in Maxillofacial Surgery have been in the recent past, included in other medical specialties of General and Plastic Surgery, Orthopaedic and Otorhinolaryngology. Today, it has developed as a distinct and highly specialised branch of surgical practice which deals with diagnosis, surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries and deformities of human jaws and associated structures. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is taught in close collaboration with specialties such as Oral Diagnosis, Oral Medicine, Prosthodontics and Orthodontics as integral parts of Dentistry. Emphasis is laid on the recognition of various forming tissue conditions, and the surgical management of oral lesions, local anaesthetic technique, exodontia, management of infections and traumatology. In recent past, management of congenital deformities as well as dental implantology has been included in the curriculum