Oral, maxillofacial surgeons can now perform hair transplant

The guidelines said an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, registered with any state dental council of India, can practice aesthetic and hair transplant procedures.

Mumbai: Oral and maxillofacial surgeons will now be able to perform hair transplants. So far, only dermatologists and plastic surgeons carried out this procedure. The Maharashtra State Dental Council (MSDC) has forwarded the guidelines to dentists across Maharashtra on February 16 following the Dental Council of India (DCI) and National Medical Commission’s guidelines on the same.

“After the National Medical Commission issued guidelines on hair transplants, the Dental Council of India, too, came out with guidelines. Not all dentists can perform hair transplant apart from oral and maxillofacial surgeons. It is a post-graduation after Bachelor’s Degree in Dentistry. Oral surgeons do big surgeries including facial bones, tumours, serious injuries. Compared to that, hair transplant is an easier process,” said Dr Kale. (HT PHOTO)

The guidelines said an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, registered with any state dental council of India, can practice aesthetic and hair transplant procedures. Maxillofacial surgeons are dentists trained to recognise and treat a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region.

Dr Narendra Kale, president, MSDC, said many small clinics carry out hair transplants without permissions including other streams, who did not have special training or degree to do it.

“After the National Medical Commission issued guidelines on hair transplants, the Dental Council of India, too, came out with guidelines. Not all dentists can perform hair transplant apart from oral and maxillofacial surgeons. It is a post-graduation after Bachelor’s Degree in Dentistry. Oral surgeons do big surgeries including facial bones, tumours, serious injuries. Compared to that, hair transplant is an easier process,” said Dr Kale.

Dr Ashok Dhoble, secretary, Indian Dental Association (IDA) said guidelines by the DCI has legitmised maxillofacial surgeons, who were performing hair transplants.

“Earlier, there were no clear guidelines on who can do hair transplant. This led to many complaints and objections, including some from dermatology association, on we doing hair transplants. Now that the guidelines are in place, it means our apex body is permitting,” said Dr Dhoble.

He said that other alternative medicine practices, too, have been doing hair transplant and other aesthetic procedures. “We are surgeons and we can handle a hair transplant procedure better than others,” he added.

IDA will conduct upgradation courses on hair transplant for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. “We are in process of formulating the upgradation courses. The guidelines have just come and all dentists are yet to know about the same,” said Dr Dhoble.