Photo By Staff Sgt. Erin Trower | X-Rays of Senior Airman Trevor McBride, 48th Fighter Wing public affairs...... read more read more
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ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England - Two oral surgeons assigned to the 48th Dental Squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, provide treatment to beneficiaries requiring corrective surgery of the mouth, jaw and face region.
Lt. Col. Khurram Shahzad and Maj. Andrew Madson are oral maxillofacial surgeons who specialize in treating trauma, disease and facial deformities.
One of their recent patients was Senior Airman Trevor McBride, a photojournalist assigned to RAF Lakenheath’s 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office.
“Growing up, I had the typical middle school brace-face look going on,” McBride said. “My orthodontist told me I would need surgery. However, I couldn't do it until my facial bones were completely grown. When I arrived here, I was finally given the opportunity to have the surgery done.”
According to Shahzad, McBride was in the 5-10 percent category that needed to undergo major surgery. Orthognathic surgery was performed for the diagnosis of a dental facial deformity, a surgery performed to straighten the jaw.
“About 90 percent of the time, orthodontics can fix the patient’s complaint with braces,” Shahzad said. “About 5 to 10 percent of the time, it’s not the teeth that are a problem, but the jaw bones and facial structures.”
Oral maxillofacial surgeons perform approximately 300 to 500 surgeries per year on RAF Lakenheath. Eighty percent are considered minor surgeries. They perform procedures from trauma surgery in active war zones, to dog bites, car accident injuries and broken jaws, to soft tissue mass removal and the placement of dental implants.
“We try to do all of the planning we need for the operating room based on pictures and models, which makes the process of the surgery very easy,” Shahzad said.
Shahzad and Madson performed McBride’s surgery, which lasted approximately seven hours. Dental assistants and an anesthesiologist were also present in the room, which is the standard protocol for both major and minor surgeries.
“I’ve learned so much from this base specifically,” said Senior Airman Victoria Ward, 48th Dental Squadron dental assistant. “I love helping with corrective jaw surgeries to help people with their eating and speech.”
According to Shahzad and Ward, their capacity to affect patients’ lives has been very rewarding.
“Some people who have dental facial deformities have confidence issues or won’t make eye contact with you,” Shahzad said. “Then you do the surgery, and, a month later, they’re dressing differently and now making eye contact with you. It’s very rewarding to know you’ve made a difference in this person’s life overall.”
As a result of the procedure, McBride recovered during two weeks of convalescent leave and will have a second surgery performed in September to complete his transformation.
“I could immediately tell that my face looked different after surgery,” McBride said. “I may have looked like a balloon, but it was obvious that my face was now symmetrical and my nose looked smaller. It’s 100 times easier for me to breathe, and I’ll be able to chew food with my front teeth. My teeth touch in the front for the first time…ever!”
| Date Taken: | 07.29.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.29.2015 07:09 |
| Story ID: | 171393 |
| Location: | RAF LAKENHEATH, GB |
| Web Views: | 164 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Oral surgeons: Another side of dentistry, by SSgt Erin Trower, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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