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The face and jaws are function and appearance at once: they decide how we chew, breathe and speak, and how we look. Patients come to a maxillofacial surgeon with an injury, a congenital feature, a tumour or the after-effects of unsuccessful treatment — cases in which a mistake costs a great deal.
Maxillofacial surgery in Germany is a specialty of its own covering the facial bones, jaws, mouth and facial soft tissue. This page explains who operates, how surgery is planned, what is treated and how AlenMed arranges it.
Who Performs Maxillofacial Surgery in Germany
It is performed by a maxillofacial surgeon, a specialist in what German calls “Mund-, Kiefer- und Gesichtschirurgie”. As the German Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery explains, the title requires degrees in both dentistry and medicine, followed by five years of clinical training in a specialist department, so one surgeon understands both the soft tissue of the face and the teeth and bite. More on training and teamwork: maxillofacial surgery explained.
Partner clinics with such departments include the Department of Oral, Maxillofacial and Plastic Facial Surgery at Düsseldorf University Hospital, the departments of oral and maxillofacial surgery at University Hospital Erlangen and University Hospital Augsburg, and the Department of Oral, Maxillofacial and Plastic Facial Surgery, Head and Neck Surgery at Sana Klinikum Offenbach.
Diagnosis and Planning Before Surgery
Surgery is planned from three-dimensional scans: computed tomography (CT) or cone beam CT of the jaws, called DVT in Germany. Both show bone and teeth in three dimensions; cone beam CT does so with a much lower radiation dose but shows soft tissue poorly. A three-dimensional model of the skull and jaws is then built, and the operation is worked out before the first incision.
For the patient this means clarity in advance: before the operation it is visible where the jaw will move and how the face will change, which matters most when the bite is corrected or bone is rebuilt.
Facial Injuries and Correcting the Bite
Broken facial bones are realigned and fixed with plates and screws, and a faulty bite is corrected by moving the jaw. This fixation of fractures of the jaws, cheekbones and eye socket is called osteosynthesis. Damaged soft tissue and nerves are repaired under an operating microscope, improving the chance that sensation and facial movement return.
A faulty bite is not only about appearance: it can make chewing, speaking and swallowing harder, restrict breathing through the nose and make the jaw joints click or hurt. When the jaws themselves are out of position, jaw surgery in Germany is planned together with an orthodontist: the surgeon moves the jaw and fixes it with small titanium plates and screws, and orthodontic treatment almost always completes the result. Such operations with three-dimensional planning are performed, for example, by Prof. Denys Loeffelbein, maxillofacial surgeon, who heads the clinic for maxillofacial and plastic facial surgery at Helios Klinikum München West.
Tumours, Clefts and Facial Reconstruction
A tumour of the face or mouth is removed on a plan agreed with oncologists and radiation oncologists, and reconstruction is planned together with the removal. In Germany such cases go to a tumour board, where oral and maxillofacial surgeons, pathologists, ENT surgeons, oncologists and radiation oncologists review all findings together. See also our article on oral cancer.
In cleft lip and palate, and after an injury or tumour removal, the surgeon restores the face’s shape and function. If nearby tissue is not enough, microsurgical transfer is used: a piece of the patient’s own bone, skin or muscle is moved with its blood vessels, which are sewn to vessels at the defect under a microscope. As a rule, this largely makes good both bone and soft tissue defects.
Surgery in the Mouth and Preparing for Implants
The surgeon also operates inside the mouth, above all removing impacted wisdom teeth and jaw cysts. An impacted tooth stays in the bone or comes through only partly; it can cause painful inflammation or damage the neighbouring molar, and a fluid-filled cyst may form around it. Local anaesthesia is usually enough. More on this under oral surgery in Germany.
If there is too little bone for dental implants, it is first built up with the patient’s own bone, for example from the mouth or the pelvic area, or with a bone substitute. This step is decisive: without enough bone an implant cannot be anchored securely. Grafted bone takes several months to heal and this cannot be hurried, so implants may require a second trip. For crowns and general dental care, see dentistry in Germany.
Frequently asked questions
What does a maxillofacial surgeon treat?
A maxillofacial surgeon treats diseases, injuries and malformations of the face, jaws and mouth: facial fractures, a faulty jaw position, tumours, cleft lip and palate, jaw joint pain and inflammation. The same specialist removes impacted teeth and jaw cysts and builds up bone before dental implants.
How much does jaw surgery cost in Germany?
There is no single price: the cost depends on the type and extent of the operation, the days in hospital and the number of stages. The clinic states it in a cost estimate after reviewing the scans. AlenMed obtains the estimate before the trip; the clinic invoices you directly.
Can a bite be corrected in adulthood?
Yes, in many cases the position of the jaws can be corrected at any age. If the jaws themselves cause the faulty bite, the surgeon moves the jaw and fixes it with small titanium plates and screws, and an orthodontist almost always completes the treatment. Whether this suits your case is decided by the surgeon after an in-person examination.
How AlenMed Arranges Maxillofacial Surgery in Germany
AlenMed sends your documents — CT or cone beam CT scans on disc, X-rays, facial photos, medical reports and, for bite correction, the orthodontist’s records — to the relevant department of a partner clinic and obtains a preliminary plan and cost estimate.
Planned surgery may involve several stages and a return visit, so we give durations only after the clinic replies. We help with the visa invitation, an interpreter and accommodation, and the clinic invoices you directly. AlenMed’s office is in Munich; partner clinics are across Germany.
This material is for reference only and is not an offer. Whether and how to operate is decided by the surgeon after an in-person examination.