Oral and maxillofacial surgeons manage a wide variety of problems relating to the mouth and soft and hard tissues of maxillofacial region.  The scope of the specialty is large and not only deals with surgical problems but also non-surgical problems affecting the oro-facial region such as the management of facial pain, oral mucosal disease and infections. 

There are about  24 oral and maxillofacial surgical units in various hospitals under the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka. The Oral and maxillofacial surgical team consists of a consultant as the leader  of the team  ,4-5 dental surgeons who are designated  as House Officers and Senior House Officers who work  under the guidance of the Consultant. 

This oral and maxillofacial surgical team is involved in on-call duties (attending to emergencies around the clock); they also  have clinics on specific days of the week where they attend to referrals  from  various areas .Further  the team  is involved in routine surgeries under general anesthesia (usually one day or two days of the week).

In addition to these duties, they are involved in the pre-operative planning of routine surgeries, ordering   investigations, performing minor oral surgeries under local anesthesia and providing post-operative care and management of   inward patients.