Interview

Interview with Sanjiv Nair

» Professor and Head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology at the Bangalore

Institute of Dental Science and Research. » Consultant Surgeon at Columbia Asia Hospitals, B. M Jain

Hospital and Mallya Hospital in Bangalore (India). » Specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – Trivandrum

Medical College. » Scholarship Program Coordinator in Facial Esthetic Surgery,

Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences.

How to cite: Nair S, Porto GG. Interview with Sanjiv Nair. J Braz Coll Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2019 Jan- -Apr;5(1):12-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14436/2358-2782.5.1.012-013.int

What training does an oral and maxillofacial surgeon need to work in India?

The Maxillofacial Surgery training in India begins with an undergraduate program in Dentistry that lasts 4 to 4.5 years, depending on the university. After that, there is one year of mandatory rotating training. The specialization in Maxillofacial Surgery is performed in centers accredited by the Dental Council of India and lasts 3 years – during which basic surgical skills are taught. This prepares the specialists for complementary training in advanced head and neck surgeries.

Advanced surgical training is available by scholarships, which are facilitated by AOMSI (Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India). These scholarships are offered in Trauma, Deformities and Oncology. The period is one and a half years for Oral Oncology, two years for Head and Neck, and one year for Trauma and Orthognathic Surgery. After this training, most surgeons join academic institutions, hospitals or clinics.

How do you see the future of the specialty in India and third world countries?

India is a rapidly growing nation and the profession is encouraging. The advantage of being a maxillofacial surgeon is the training in the stomatognathic system , which includes the head and neck. The limitation is the need to customize this globalized training. It is known that Third World countries and developing nations have a uniform pattern of training to provide quality care in head and neck surgeries. The only common platform between countries is the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (IAOMS). The establishment of an International Certification Board would allow equity in both knowledge and clinical practice. However, some challenges should be overcome, due to linguistic and cultural barriers.

What are your country's expectations regarding ICOMS 2019?

Most of us are excited and anxious about ICOMS 2019 in Brazil, a country that has many cultural and economic similarities with India. The Indian Association and I myself have promoted the ICOMS. I expect to see a large contingent in Rio. Concerning our expectations, we would like to see a mixture of academic and ethnic flavors. The ICOMS has always been a potpourri of cultures; I am sure the same will happen in Brazil.

In our country, the great majority of facial traumas result from traffic accidents. What is the reality in India?

Traumas in India are very similar to those in Brazil: traffic accidents. It is a combination of irresponsible driving and poor infrastructure. Interestingly, during my period as president of AOMSI, I made a movie called "Face It", which attempted to combine all traffic violations, and had more than 2.5 million views. I would like to share with you the link to this video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bXK7BmYECPk

Profa. Dra. Gabriela Granja Porto

- Editor-in-Chief of the JBCOMS - Journal of the Brazilian College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.