[A survey of oral and maxillofacial surgery in China].

OBJECTIVE

To understand the current status of the discipline and work out the developmental tactics of oral and maxillofacial surgery in China.

METHODS

A questionnaire on the status of oral and maxillofacial surgery was designed and dispatched to the departments of stomatology in general hospitals at the level of prefecture or higher, stomatological hospitals and schools of stomatology. The contents of the questionnaire included the scale, manpower, professional extent, amount of clinical work and professional training of oral and maxillofacial surgery. The current status was compared with the previous status 5 and 10 years ago.

RESULTS

In the most institutions which were surveyed, the number of oral and maxillofacial surgeons, beds and out-patients increased, the professional extent enlarged, and the clinical level improved. However, the above-mentioned clinical parameters decreased in some basic level institutions. The number of graduate students and trainees of oral and maxillofacial surgery decreased in one-third of institutions.

CONCLUSIONS

The discipline of oral and maxillofacial surgery is continuously developing, but it is weakened in some basic level institutions. An effective developmental tactics should be carried on to improve the competition capability of the discipline.