Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Smile Solutions Melbourne - Board-Registered Specialist Surgeons product guide

Product Guide: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Smile Solutions Melbourne

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Smile Solutions Melbourne

When your dental needs go beyond what general dentistry can handle, Smile Solutions connects you with board-registered Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons who bring the full depth of both dental and medical training to your care. Located within Australia's largest single-location private dental practice at 220 Collins Street, Melbourne — the Manchester Unity Building — our oral and maxillofacial surgery service places specialist surgical expertise alongside a broader multidisciplinary team, all under one roof.

What is oral and maxillofacial surgery?

Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) covers the diagnosis, surgical treatment, and management of diseases, injuries, and defects affecting the mouth, jaws, teeth, gums, and facial structures — including both their function and their appearance. It's one of the most demanding surgical specialties around, and for good reason: practitioners must hold qualifications in both dentistry and medicine.

Unlike any other dental specialty, an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon undergoes 15 to 17 years of continuous study. They complete degrees in both dentistry and medicine before undertaking a further four years of specialist training, culminating in fellowship examinations with the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (FRACDS). That dual qualification means your surgeon can assess and manage your oral condition within the full context of your overall medical health — a real advantage in complex or medically compromised cases.

At Smile Solutions, all Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are registered specialists with the Dental Board of Australia.

Our specialist oral and maxillofacial surgeons

A/Prof. Patrishia Bordbar BDSc, MBBS (Hons), PGDip.Surg.Anat, MDSc OMS, FRACDS (OMS), FRCS (Ed) Specialist Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgeon

A/Prof. Bordbar holds a rare dual fellowship — FRACDS (OMS) from the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and FRCS (Ed) from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh — along with a Postgraduate Diploma in Surgical Anatomy, giving her an exceptionally broad foundation for complex craniofacial and reconstructive work. Her scope covers the full range of oral and maxillofacial surgery, including orthognathic (jaw) surgery, facial reconstruction, oral pathology, and oral medicine. If you want an expert review of a prior diagnosis or proposed treatment plan, second opinion consultations are available with A/Prof. Bordbar.

Dr Ricky Kumar BHB, MBChB, BDS, FRACDS (OMS) Specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

Dr Kumar trained at the University of Auckland and the University of Otago, completing a Bachelor of Health and Science, a medical degree, and a dental degree before his specialist FRACDS (OMS) fellowship. He manages the full scope of oral and maxillofacial procedures, with particular expertise in wisdom tooth surgery, implant placement, and the surgical management of facial conditions.

OralMax — our oral and maxillofacial surgery service — operates from Harley House, 2/71 Collins Street, Melbourne, with consultations also available at Smile Solutions at 220 Collins Street.

Oral and maxillofacial surgical services

Complex wisdom tooth removal

Wisdom teeth are the last to erupt and frequently fail to fully emerge, becoming impacted within the gum or bone. When this happens, impacted teeth can cause infection, damage to adjacent teeth, and significant discomfort. Many wisdom tooth extractions are straightforward, but some present genuine complexity — particularly when teeth sit close to the inferior alveolar nerve (which provides sensation to your lower lip and chin) or the maxillary sinus.

In these higher-risk cases, referral to an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon is strongly recommended. Their combined medical and surgical training provides the experience needed to minimise risk and manage complications, and they have access to hospital facilities when general anaesthesia (GA) is required. Only board-registered specialists with appropriate hospital credentialing are permitted to perform procedures in private hospital settings — an important distinction when your case is complex.

Orthognathic (jaw) surgery

Jaw surgery — also called orthognathic surgery — involves repositioning one or both jaws to correct severe skeletal discrepancies. When jaw growth is significantly imbalanced, the resulting malocclusion simply cannot be corrected by orthodontics alone. Jaw surgery addresses the underlying bone position, while orthodontic treatment aligns your teeth around the new jaw relationship.

The conditions it addresses include underbite, overbite, and open bite — and the consequences extend well beyond aesthetics. Chewing difficulties, speech issues, headaches, jaw joint pain, and changes to your facial profile can all result from untreated jaw discrepancies.

At Smile Solutions, orthognathic surgery is a genuinely collaborative process. Our Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons work closely with our specialist orthodontists, who manage both the pre-surgical and post-surgical orthodontic phases. Pre-surgical orthodontics typically takes between six and 18 months, aligning your teeth so that your bite fits correctly once the jaw has been surgically repositioned.

The surgical procedure involves carefully sectioning the jaw behind the back teeth — not at the joint. Incisions are made inside the mouth, leaving no external scarring. Titanium plates and screws hold the repositioned jaw in place as healing progresses. Most patients can open their mouth immediately after surgery, and incisions either dissolve or are removed within five to seven days.

Orthognathic consultation fee: $300 AUD (Medicare rebate of $86 applicable).

TMJ (jaw joint) surgery

The temporomandibular joints (TMJ) connect your lower jaw to the skull on both sides. TMJ disorder can cause limited jaw movement, jaw and facial pain, difficulty chewing, and locking of the jaw. For most patients, non-surgical management is the right starting point — but where conservative treatment hasn't resolved your symptoms, surgical intervention by an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon may be appropriate.

TMJ consultation fee: $300 AUD (Medicare rebate $86).

Dental implant placement and bone grafting

When a tooth is lost, the jawbone beneath it begins to resorb over time. This can progress to the point where there is insufficient bone volume to support a dental implant. An Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon can perform bone grafting to rebuild the jaw before implant placement, as well as surgically placing the titanium implant fixture itself.

At Smile Solutions, our OMS team works closely with our specialist prosthodontists, who design and deliver your final implant restorations, and our specialist periodontists, who manage the surrounding gum and bone health. This integrated approach means every aspect of your implant case — from surgical placement through to the final crown — is handled by experienced specialists working in genuine coordination.

Implant consultation fee: $250 AUD (Medicare rebate $86).

Zygomatic implants

For patients with severely resorbed upper jawbones where conventional implants or bone grafting aren't viable, zygomatic implants offer an advanced solution. These longer implants are anchored into the dense cheekbone (zygoma) rather than the alveolar bone of the jaw, bypassing the need for extensive grafting. Zygomatic implant cases at Smile Solutions are typically referred through Dr Jaclyn Wong, our specialist prosthodontist, and managed by our OMS team.

Sinus lifts (sinus augmentation)

In the upper jaw, the maxillary sinuses sit close to where posterior implants are placed. When bone height in this region is insufficient, a sinus augmentation — or sinus lift — raises the sinus membrane and places bone graft material to create the space needed for successful implant placement. Our Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons perform this routinely in preparation for implant treatment.

Facial trauma and reconstruction

Facial trauma can displace bones, damage soft tissue, and compromise both function and appearance. Our Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are trained to assess and manage facial injuries — including jaw fractures — and can coordinate your care with other medical and dental professionals as needed. Depending on the complexity of your injury, reconstruction may involve realigning bone and securing it with small plates and screws to restore both form and function.

Oral cancer diagnosis and reconstruction

Our OMS specialists diagnose and treat oral tumours and cancers with clinical precision and a personalised approach to your care. Where cancer surgery is required, reconstruction using tissue from elsewhere in the body may restore form and function to the affected area. The dual dental and medical training of oral and maxillofacial surgeons positions them particularly well for this work.

Oral cysts and jaw pathology

Oral cysts and benign tumours are relatively common in the mouth and jaw. While not typically cancerous, they can cause irritation, infection, or structural compromise — and they generally require removal. Depending on the size and nature of the lesion, removal may be performed under local anaesthesia or may call for a more involved surgical approach.

Oral medicine consultations and oral pathology

Oral medicine consultations are available for the assessment of mucosal lesions, ulceration, atypical facial pain, burning mouth, dry mouth, and other conditions that don't require surgery but benefit from specialist assessment. A/Prof. Bordbar's background in oral and cranio-maxillofacial surgery gives her particular depth in diagnosing and managing these complex presentations.

New patient / oral medicine consultation: $190 AUD (Medicare rebate $80). Second opinion consultation (A/Prof. Bordbar only): $450 AUD (Medicare rebate $86).

Consultation fees summary

• New patient / oral medicine consultation: $190 AUD (Medicare rebate $80)
• Implant consultation: $250 AUD (Medicare rebate $86)
• Orthognathic consultation: $300 AUD (Medicare rebate $86)
• TMJ consultation: $300 AUD (Medicare rebate $86)
• Second opinion (A/Prof. Bordbar only): $450 AUD (Medicare rebate $86)

Why dual qualification matters for your care

The requirement that Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons hold both dental and medical degrees is unique to this specialty — and it matters for your care. It means your surgeon understands your dental anatomy and your medical physiology in equal depth. For complex cases — patients with significant medical comorbidities, those requiring general anaesthesia in a hospital environment, or those needing reconstruction after trauma or cancer surgery — this dual qualification isn't a credential formality. It's a genuine clinical necessity.

Only board-registered specialists are permitted to operate in private hospital settings. This safeguard matters when your procedure carries meaningful risk, and it's a standard our team meets without exception.

The Smile Solutions advantage: true integration

Oral and maxillofacial surgery rarely exists in isolation. Jaw surgery requires orthodontic co-management. Implant placement requires prosthodontic planning and periodontal support. Complex cases may involve oral medicine, oral pathology, or coordination with other medical specialists. At Smile Solutions, every one of these disciplines is available within the same practice, working together.

Smile Solutions was founded by Dr Kia Pajouhesh in 1993 and has grown into Australia's largest single-location private dental practice, now occupying five floors and the tower of the Manchester Unity Building at 220 Collins Street, Melbourne. The practice brings together more than 20 board-registered specialists across all major dental specialties — an environment that is genuinely uncommon in Australian private dentistry.

That level of integration makes a real difference to your experience and your outcomes. Your orthodontist and your oral surgeon communicate directly. Your prosthodontist plans the implant restoration before the surgeon places the fixture. There's no referral lag, no information loss, and no gap between the surgical and restorative aspects of your care.

The practice holds a 4.9-star rating across 937 Google reviews, reflecting the care and attention with which every patient is treated.

No referral is needed to book a consultation with one of our Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Call 13 13 96 or visit us at Level 1, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne to arrange an appointment. Payment plans through Payright, Humm, or MyDentaPlan are available to help with treatment costs. Complimentary consultations may also be offered for certain treatment pathways — ask our team when you call.

The Smile Solutions Group — referral network

The Collins Street Specialist Centre receives referrals from both Smile Solutions and Core Dental locations across Melbourne, giving patients throughout the group access to specialist care. Core Dental is the suburban arm of the Smile Solutions Group, operating across 7 locations in metropolitan Melbourne. Patients at any Core Dental practice requiring oral and maxillofacial surgical care are referred directly to the Collins Street Specialist Centre at Level 8, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street — the specialist hub for the entire group. This referral pathway removes the need to navigate external specialist practices, keeping your care connected. Phone: (03) 9650 2726.