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Glossary

A comprehensive glossary of terms used in oral and maxillofacial surgery clinical practice, technology, and operations. Definitions follow ISO 11179 metadata registry standards: precise, concise, distinct, non-circular, and free of business rules.


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This glossary will be generated from the learning graph concept list. Initial terms below; full glossary under development.


Alveoloplasty: Surgical reshaping of the alveolar ridge to create a smooth contour for prosthetic rehabilitation.

Arthrocentesis: Minimally invasive lavage of the temporomandibular joint space using needle puncture and irrigation.

Arthroscopy: Endoscopic examination and treatment of the temporomandibular joint through a small-diameter scope.

Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy (BSSO): Mandibular osteotomy technique that splits the ramus sagittally to reposition the distal segment for correction of mandibular deformities.

BMP-2 (Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2): Recombinant growth factor (rhBMP-2) used to stimulate osteoinduction in bone graft procedures.

CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography): Volumetric imaging technique that produces three-dimensional radiographic data of the maxillofacial skeleton using a cone-shaped X-ray beam.

CDT (Current Dental Terminology): Standardized code set maintained by the ADA for reporting dental procedures to insurance carriers.

Condylar Fracture: Fracture of the mandibular condyle, classified by location (intracapsular, subcondylar, condylar neck) and displacement.

CPT (Current Procedural Terminology): Standardized code set maintained by the AMA for reporting medical procedures and services to insurance carriers.

Cross-Coding: The process of translating dental CDT procedures to medical CPT codes for submission to medical insurance payers.

DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine): International standard for transmitting, storing, and sharing medical imaging data.

Distraction Osteogenesis: Surgical technique that generates new bone between two bone segments that are gradually separated by incremental traction.

DOME Procedure: Distraction osteogenesis maxillary expansion, a surgically assisted technique for maxillary widening in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

DPSC (Dental Pulp Stem Cell): Mesenchymal stem cells derived from dental pulp tissue with osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic differentiation capacity.

ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery): Multimodal perioperative care protocol designed to minimize physiological stress and accelerate recovery.

Fiducial Marker: Radio-opaque reference point placed on the patient for registration between preoperative imaging and intraoperative navigation.

Free Flap: Composite tissue transfer in which a segment of tissue with its vascular pedicle is harvested and microsurgically anastomosed to recipient vessels at the defect site.

Genioplasty: Osteotomy of the chin segment (genial bone) to reposition it for functional or aesthetic correction.

Guided Surgery: Implant or osteotomy placement using a stereolithographic surgical guide fabricated from virtual planning data.

Haptic Guidance: Force feedback technology in robotic surgical systems that provides tactile resistance to constrain instrument movement within a planned surgical volume.

ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision): Standardized diagnostic coding system used for medical billing and epidemiological tracking.

IPS CaseDesigner: KLS Martin's virtual surgical planning software for orthognathic and craniomaxillofacial procedures.

LeFort I Osteotomy: Horizontal osteotomy of the maxilla at the level of the nasal floor, allowing repositioning of the entire upper jaw.

Maxillomandibular Advancement (MMA): Combined LeFort I and BSSO to advance the maxilla and mandible for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

MRONJ (Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw): Exposed or probeable bone in the maxillofacial region persisting for more than 8 weeks in a patient exposed to antiresorptive or antiangiogenic agents, without history of radiation.

Navigation-Guided Surgery: Intraoperative use of computer-assisted tracking systems to correlate surgical instrument position with preoperative imaging in real time.

Orthognathic Surgery: Surgical repositioning of the maxilla, mandible, or both to correct dentofacial deformities and malocclusion.

Panfacial Fracture: Simultaneous fractures involving the upper, middle, and lower thirds of the facial skeleton.

ParCare (Parameters of Care): AAOMS clinical practice guidelines defining therapeutic goals, risk factors, and outcomes for 11 areas of OMS practice.

Patient-Specific Implant (PSI): Custom-manufactured titanium or PEEK implant designed from the patient's CT data for precise anatomic reconstruction.

Piezoelectric Surgery: Ultrasonic bone-cutting technique using microvibrations that selectively cut mineralized tissue while preserving soft tissue structures.

PRF (Platelet-Rich Fibrin): Autologous blood concentrate obtained by centrifugation without anticoagulant, containing a fibrin matrix with platelets and growth factors.

PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma): Autologous blood concentrate with a high platelet count obtained by centrifugation, used to deliver growth factors to surgical sites.

Rigid Fixation: Stabilization of bone fragments using titanium plates and screws to achieve primary bone healing without intermaxillary fixation.

SARPE (Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion): Surgical procedure to facilitate maxillary expansion in skeletally mature patients by osteotomizing the lateral maxillary walls and midpalatal suture.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy: Surgical identification and removal of the first lymph node(s) draining a primary tumor site to assess for metastatic disease.

Total Joint Replacement (TMJ): Prosthetic replacement of the mandibular condyle and/or temporal fossa component with alloplastic materials.

TORS (Transoral Robotic Surgery): Minimally invasive surgical approach using robotic-assisted instruments introduced through the oral cavity for resection of oropharyngeal and laryngeal pathology.

Virtual Surgical Planning (VSP): Computer-based 3D simulation of surgical osteotomies and repositioning performed on the patient's CT data prior to surgery.

Yomi: FDA-cleared robotic system by Neocis that provides haptic-guided assistance for dental implant placement.

ZMC Fracture (Zygomaticomaxillary Complex): Fracture involving the zygoma and its articulations with the frontal, temporal, sphenoid, and maxillary bones.