Oral surgery: present and future.

The history of the specialty of oral surgery is reviewed from the days of its origin, when it was essentially confined to exodontia, to its present status, in which it includes many and varied surgical operations relative to the human jaws and their associated structures. The scope and training pertinent to modern oral surgery are discussed. A three-year program on a graduate basis, required as partial fulfilment of the qualifications for accreditation and certification by the American Board of Oral Surgery, is described in detail. The need for mutual understanding by the medical and dental professions, as to what this specialty has to offer in terms of a total community health program, is emphasized.