OMS Clinic Kassel: Dr Terheyden

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Prof. Dr. Dr. Terheyden is a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery and has been the head physician of the Helios Kliniken Kassel (formerly DRK-Kliniken Nordhessen) and owner of the Implant Center Kassel since 2007. In addition to being a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery, he also holds the additional title of plastic surgeon and is a specialist in oral surgery with additional qualifications in X-ray and ultrasound diagnostics and dental implantology.

The treatment of tumours, malpositions, and malformations in the mouth, jaw, and face is performed by Dr Terheyden with high professional quality and precision. He always keeps an eye on facial aesthetics and chewing function. Through plastic-reconstructive surgery, undesirable long-term effects can often be avoided so patients can maintain or regain quality of life.

Interdisciplinary Cooperation at the OMS Clinic in Kassel

Dr Terheyden and his team offer numerous special consultation hours at the Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Patients with questions about tumour treatments, dental implants, malformations, and orofacial clefts as well as dysgnathia treatments receive high-quality advice on their specific problems.

The oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic cooperates closely with other medical specialists, clinics, and specialists to provide the best possible treatment for each patient. In the case of cancer, the necessary treatment steps are decided in a certified (Onkozert) head and neck tumor board together with the clinic for ear, nose, and throat medicine at the municipal clinics. In addition, there is a collaboration with the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University Medical Center Göttingen for complicated diseases.

Patients who suffer from persistent pain in the head and jaw area also benefit from the close cooperation between the Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the Clinic for Neurology at Helios Kliniken Kassel. This close cooperation between neurologists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons ensures an exceptionally high quality of treatment.

Plastic and Aesthetic Facial Surgery by OMS Specialists

The face is a central feature of our outward appearance and is also one of the most sensitive areas of our body. In addition to aesthetic expression, it also plays a decisive role in our chewing and speaking functions. It is therefore of utmost importance to treat injuries or diseases of the facial area immediately, precisely, and sustainably.

Dr Terheyden and his team at the Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery use modern three-dimensional imaging techniques and individually customised implants for diagnosis and treatment in facial surgery. The primary goal of any reconstruction is to restore both the aesthetic appearance and the facial functions in the best possible way, to protect the facial nerves, and to avoid scars as far as possible. For minor soft tissue corrections (e.g. skin or lip cancer), it is often sufficient to move the surrounding tissue by taking the place of the diseased and removed tissue. In the case of larger injuries and skin defects, modern microsurgical procedures can be used to shift transplants from other parts of the body, including vessels into the face. Thus, for example, a new jaw with cheek or palate can be reconstructed by endogenous bone donation from the lower leg or shoulder blade without leaving larger traces of the operation visible later on.

The Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery also offers expert and safe interventions with best results in the field of contour-improving measures. The most frequently desired procedures for a harmonious profile include rhinoplasty, adjusting the shape of the chin (chin plastic surgery), or jaw correction. The clinic also offers other lifting operations such as eyelid plastic surgery, face and forehead lifts, wrinkle injections, and Botox treatments.

Individual Dental Implants in Kassel from an Expert

Dental implants made of titanium or ceramic that are firmly anchored in the jaw are a functional and long-term alternative to a conventional dental prosthesis. Many patients prefer implants because they allow more natural chewing and biting. Dr Terheyden and the treating physicians of the OMS Clinic in Kassel have the necessary experience to consider the individual requirements of each patient and to position implants precisely and safely.

In the field of bone augmentation for dental implants, the Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is of great importance throughout Germany. If it is impossible to build up or prepare one’s own bone material in the jaw, there is the opportunity to use bio-compatible bone substitute materials or transplant donor bones instead.

Prof. Terheyden manages the outpatient implant centre in Kassel in the immediate vicinity of the Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. In cooperation with established dentists, patients are treated with implants at the highest professional level. The services also include surgical procedures such as the removal of wisdom teeth.

Expert Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Pain

Disturbances of our masticatory system or the temporomandibular joints can cause disorders which we initially do not suspect the cause to be in the area of mouth or face. If teeth are too flat, have grown crooked, or are missing, this can hinder the chewing movement and lead to a long term malposition of the jaw joint. This does not only cause local pain but often also results in headaches or tension in neck and back muscles as well as dizziness or tinnitus. About 30% of the population is affected by craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) requiring treatment. Dr Terheyden and his team of physicians work closely with specialists from other disciplines to understand the complex effects of CMD and to treat them individually.

It is not always necessary to operate immediately after a detailed diagnosis: First of all, an attempt is usually made to relieve the diseased jaw joint through relaxation therapies, physiotherapy, or with the help of a dental splint. If a normal, pain-free function cannot be restored like this, the specialists at the OMS Clinic in Kassel master all surgical procedures for stabilising the temporomandibular joint. 

Modern Treatment Methods in OMS Tumour Surgery

The Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Kassel has an excellent reputation far beyond the region for the operation and treatment of tumours in the oral and maxillofacial region. The modern technical equipment, gentle treatment concepts, and interdisciplinary cooperation between the various departments, clinics, and centres also play an important role here.

Especially in case of oral cancer, it is important for patients to go to a special clinic. Oral cancer is the seventh most common type of cancer among men in Germany. Radiotherapy alone is usually not sufficient to destroy all tumour cells. Radiotherapy can also lead to severe impairments of taste, difficulty in swallowing, or even burns. Dr Terheyden and his team are able to surgically remove most tumours in the mouth area. The applied method of “primary reconstruction” ensures a considerable increase in quality of life for those affected. Immediately after the removal of the tumour, both tissue and bone are replaced by the body’s own transplants. At the same time, scarring or permanent malfunctions can usually be avoided. If the surgery succeeds, chemotherapy or radiotherapy can often be avoided.

In case of tumour diseases of the parotid gland, it is particularly important to protect the facial nerve responsible for facial expressions. In a microsurgical surgical procedure, this nerve is prepared and protected in order to be able to remove a tumour as completely as possible.

Correction of Malocclusions and Malformations

Children born with malformations of the mouth, jaw, and face should be operated as early as possible in order to avoid long-term consequences and developmental restrictions. Orofacial clefts can often already be detected during ultrasound scans before birth so parents can be informed about necessary measures at an early stage.

Cleft lips can be corrected as early as the 4th month of life; cleft palates somewhat later. In order to enable infants and their mothers to drink and breastfeed normally until then, the Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Kassel initially uses drinking plates. In order to ensure that young patients can continue to develop normally after a successful operation, the OMS Clinic also supports parents and children in further development measures such as speech therapy and orthodontic treatment.

Over and above, Dr Terheyden offers all therapeutic procedures for adult orofacial cleft patients, including distraction osteogenesis for the treatment of jaw malpositions, speech-improving operations, or bone augmentation.

Orthognathic surgery

Dysgnathia is a malocclusion of the teeth, jaw, or masticatory system. In the long term, such misalignments and malocclusions can damage the temporomandibular joints and cause severe pain. At the Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Kassel, surgical bite adjustments are carried out in close cooperation with the treating orthodontist. In many cases, correcting the misalignment also significantly improves the patient's esthetic appearance.

When treating dysgnathia, Dr Terheyden and his team of doctors do not wire the jaw so the healing process is more comfortable. They guarantee personal and comprehensive care before, during, and after the surgical procedure.

More information can be found at the Website of the Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as well as at the Website of the Implant Centre in Kassel.