The human face is an intricate arrangement of bones, muscles, nerve endings and tissue. If the delicate balance is askew by even a fraction of an inch, it can result in severe pain or disfigurement. The board-certified surgeons at Oral Facial Surgery Institute and Implant Center, based at Mercy St. Louis, are experts in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The dental specialty focuses on diseases, injuries and defects of the face, jaws, mouth and teeth.
“It’s complicated work, requiring up to six additional years of advanced, hospital-based training after dental school,” says Dr. Reza Movahed, who also completed a yearlong fellowship in corrective jaw and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery at Baylor University in Dallas. Movahed, a clinical assistant professor at Saint Louis University, practices at OFSI’s Chesterfield offices. He and his colleagues often are called upon to correct facial deformities or imbalances. “To help patients look and function better long term, surgeons need to understand and respect the anatomy and underlying structures of the face and skull,” he says.
The status of the airway and the TMJ must be meticulously evaluated prior to surgery, he explains. “Underlying issues with the joints, including degenerative diseases or growth disorders, can cause excessive resorption or joint growth, leading to unstable results after corrective jaw surgery,” he says. “And surgeons can inadvertently decrease the patient’s airway when moving a protruding jaw back. If these procedures aren’t done properly, patients look fine at first, but can suffer from severe TMJ issues or life-threatening sleep apnea later.”
A recent patient with a TMJ disorder endured 13 surgeries in 15 years before seeking help from Movahed. “An improperly placed prosthesis had caused massive destruction of the bony housing of her joint and skull, creating an opening in the skull base that led to her brain,” he recalls. “She’d been in severe pain for years.” He removed the faulty prosthesis and replaced it with a customdesigned device. “It was a complex procedure: I had to close the opening to the brain and drill screws into the bone without causing brain damage,” he says. The operation was a success. “Not only does she looks better, but proper function has been restored. Her headaches are gone, and she can eat without pain.”
A 24-year-old woman suffered from a severe facial deformity that resulted in an overdeveloped upper jaw, a protruding lower jaw and overexposed gums. “She couldn’t bite properly or close her lips,” Movahed says. “Repairing her bite involved moving her upper jaw up and forward and setting her lower jaw backward—without restricting her airway. Now she looks great, she’s pain-free and she won’t have to deal with disrupted breathing down the line.”
Whether they’re treating traumatic injuries or lifelong deformities, reconstructing a face damaged by cancer, or simply removing an infected wisdom tooth or inserting a dental implant, Movahed and his colleagues enjoy improving lives. “It’s amazing what we can do to help our patients look and feel better.”
By Tony Di Martino
Photo by Bill Barrett
Pictured: Dr. Reza Movahed
The Oral facial Surgery Institute & Implant Center, based at Mercy St. Louis, also has locations in Kirkwood, Chesterfield and Eureka. For more information, call 314.251.6725 or visit ofsinstitute.com.
