In this fourth and last editorial in this series, consideration of the tasks to ensure the future success of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) turns to the likely alliances that must continue to be built. In February, March, and April 2007, JOMS explored training, recruiting, and investing in the specialty’s future. The problems of insufficient workforce, the characteristics of the new generation of surgeons, the financial shortcomings of surgical education, and the demands of contemporary OMS practice have created a heady mix of challenges to the specialty. To build us strong, our leaders must strategically guide our path, recruit the best successors, and capitalize the future wisely. OMS can only achieve these goals with the help of few well-considered friends, our allies.
Consider a few of those who can help build or, if we fail to earn their support, erode the specialty. These potential allies are indispensable to our future success. They are our dental colleagues, scientists, biomedical technology entrepreneurs, our surgical colleagues, and our fellow oral and maxillofacial surgeons. The purpose of this entreaty is simply to raise our JOMS readers’ awareness of the importance of these alliances and offer some means to cultivate them.
Ally With Dentistry
Our colleagues in dentistry have a strong interest in the success of OMS. We are some of dentistry’s leaders in the health care arena. OMS promotes the importance of oral health in environments where other dentists do not often tread: emergency wards, intensive care units, operating rooms, and interdisciplinary settings. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons work directly with a broader range of health care professionals than any other dentists. We have the unique opportunity to promote dentistry in these environments and thereby build our ties with our dental colleagues.
We can most effectively cultivate our alliance with dentistry by being active in the American Dental Association (ADA) and supporting the ADA agenda to improve oral health and the practice of dentistry. While about 3 of 4 oral and maxillofacial surgeons are members of the ADA, we must strive to achieve 100% membership of AAOMS members in the ADA. OMS ADA council members and elected ADA leaders must continue to represent the views of oral and maxillofacial surgeons while we serve our parent professional organization.
Ally With Scientists
Support for biomedical research has turned toward translational research where the findings of the laboratory can find their way into clinical practice. The diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of surgical diseases are now the object of translational research. However, most biomedical scientists know very little about medical practice and even less about surgical practice. They generally do not read or publish in clinical surgical journals. Biomedical scientists will likely share many of the biases of the public with regard to the scope and practice of surgical specialties including OMS.
Educating scientists about the scope of OMS and the biomedical needs of the specialty affords a remarkable opportunity for our specialty. Conferences of biomedical scientists now focus on the clinical needs of specific health problems. OMS needs to get its message forward on our clinical needs in areas that appear each month in JOMS such as surgical oncology, trauma repair, maxillofacial reconstruction, and skeletofacial deformities. Scientists might then look toward opportunities in OMS for translational research to address these problems utilizing new methods of genetic engineering, tissue engineering, and bone promotion among others. Concurrently, OMS needs to learn more about early advances in biomedical research that might have application in the management of relevant diseases. JOMS can play a key role in highlighting translational research of the past that is now in daily practice. This month, AAOMS is sponsoring its second Research Summit of the century to develop our alliance with scientists. In creating this alliance, the future scope of surgical practice, and OMS’s role in those advances, can be assured.
Ally With Biomedical Technology Entrepreneurs
New wound healing modalities, hemostatic agents, bone promoting substances, distraction osteosynthesis devices, imaging advances, and surgically relevant pharmaceuticals, are but a few of the areas where billions of dollars are being invested by entrepreneurs to develop products. If the research and development necessary to produce those products includes the participation of oral and maxillofacial surgeons, our role in their clinical application will be assured.
OMS must make the effort to consult with entrepreneurs and collaborate where indicated in the development and testing of new surgical products. We should support the availability of new biomedical products that will benefit our patients. Many caveats must be held fast to maintain the ethical relationship between surgeons and industry. While addressing those concerns, we can build alliances with industry that will benefit the practice of OMS and assure our role in clinical advances in surgical technology.
Ally With Other Surgical Specialties
OMS has a largely unaired agenda for the future with our surgical colleagues. The distance among the surgical specialties has inhibited our advancement. This problem affords an opportunity to develop an agenda for change and collaboration especially with otolaryngology, plastic surgery, general surgery, and periodontology. Each of these specialties is facing challenges similar to our own. In many ways, OMS interfaces in a unique way among these specialties. Thus, we have an opportunity to lead the development of alliances with a spirit of invention and cooperation.
Opening a dialogue to build alliances is best done in face-to-face settings. Joint conferences on common clinical issues, an education summit, and joint research meetings are some venues where the seeds of collaboration can begin to grow.
Ally With OMS Colleagues
By building the community of oral and maxillofacial surgeons, the vibrancy and future growth of the specialty can be assured. This has been well-recognized in AAOMS activities in recent years. The growth of the CIGs (clinical interest groups) brings those with common interests together to create alliances in such critical areas as trauma, craniofacial disorders, implants, and maxillofacial neurologic disorders. State and regional societies also benefit the growth of alliances with colleagues.
Beyond alliances are the many lifelong friendships we share with our colleagues. The problem of addressing the clinical needs of our patients, our practices, and negotiating our health care system can be the same in Portland, ME and Portland, OR. The nation of friends we create in the specialty of OMS is our most reliable ally. To understand what it means to have a nation of friends devoted to your success, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/chuckmilam. Chuck, a devoted member of our JOMS editorial board, was recently found to be seriously ill. Countless of Chuck’s friends from across the land have written to express their good wishes and to reflect on Dr Milam’s amazing personal qualities and his enormous contributions to OMS. In reading these entries, I am sure you will recognize that a wonderful community of friends already exists among oral and maxillofacial surgeons. With friends like Chuck, and friends like Chuck’s friends, the specialty’s future is in good hands.
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