JOIN US FOR DECODE THE DOCS WEEK! We're revisiting our most popular episodes about medical word trivia. This is when our pro comics do the heavy lifting. Celebrate these heroes who keep you healthy and laughing with Team Dr Ben!

A word can be funny until it’s on your chart. We’re turning the most intimidating oral and maxillofacial surgery terms into something you can actually understand, using a simple setup: Comedian Drew Davis takes a bold guess at what the term means, and Dr. Steve (our oral maxillofacial surgeon) explains the real definition with the kind of clarity you wish every appointment had.

We get into cleft lip repair and why timing matters for feeding and speech, then move into the big jaw-and-bite world of orthognathic surgery. Dr. Steve breaks down Le Fort fractures and the Le Fort osteotomy, explaining how surgeons use predictable midface patterns to classify trauma and also to plan elective jaw repositioning for dentofacial deformities and malocclusion.

We also connect it to the sagittal split osteotomy on the mandible, showing how upper jaw and lower jaw procedures work together to line teeth up and restore function.

Then we hit one of the wildest-sounding but most real techniques: distraction osteogenesis. We talk through how a controlled bone cut plus a device that advances tiny amounts each day can stimulate new bone growth, often in pediatric patients with small jaws that affect the airway.

We close with the sphenozygomatic suture, a key skull anatomy landmark that helps surgeons confirm a cheekbone is back where it belongs after facial trauma.

If you like medical terminology, anatomy, surgery stories, or just learning something useful while laughing, subscribe, share this with a curious friend, and leave a review. Which medical term should we decode next?

Thanks to our guests:

Dr Steve, oral maxillofacial surgeon

Drew Davis, Comedian, Founder Clean Comedy Collective

FB/IG/TT/YT: @drewdaviscomedy

https://drewdaviscomedy.com/

This episode was produced by Angie Debelak with post-production editing by Ben Hill Sound.

Thanks for listening to Dr Ben and Friends. Laughter is the best medicine...unless you're treating bowel or bladder incontinence. See you next time!

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DISCLAIMER: Dr Ben and Friends Podcast

Quick heads-up folks: Dr Ben and Friends is your weekly dose of laughs and stories. We celebrate healthcare heroes and pro comics.

This is infotainment-- think popcorn, not prescriptions or medical advice.

If you're feeling funky, see your medical professional. Your health? That's on you. We'll stick to the punchlines.