Jul 25, 2025
Insights from Dr. Reynaldo Rivera on Innovation and Lifelong Learning
As science continues to advance, so do surgical standards, techniques, and research in the specialty. Continuous learning and education are core values embraced by Board-Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
Reynaldo Rivera, DDS, MD, FACS, a Board-Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and CAQ Certificant in Pediatric Craniomaxillofacial Surgery (Cleft and Craniofacial), shares his insights into the evolution of craniofacial care and how ongoing research and advancements are shaping the work in the subspecialty. Read his insights below.
How have treatment approaches for cleft and craniofacial conditions evolved during your career?
Without a doubt, computer-based virtual surgical planning has completely revolutionized treatment planning in craniofacial surgery. Particularly with technological advances in cone-beam CT scanning, intra-oral dental scanning, and 3-D print printing, the treatment planning phase of Craniofacial deformities that used to take hours can and can now be done in a matter of minutes. The precision of surgical treatment using these technologies has also improved by leaps and bounds over traditional bench-top treatment planning techniques.
What emerging technologies are you most excited about in craniofacial care, and how will they change patient outcomes?
I’m really excited to see where the molecular genetics research continues to take us. There have been some really amazing discoveries on the genetic frontiers of cleft and craniofacial conditions, and more are being made all of the time. I think the possibilities are near-limitless on this front
What duty do Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons have to educate the public about craniofacial conditions and available treatments?
I feel very strongly that cleft lip and palate and craniofacial conditions are core to the specialty of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Cleft palate surgery is one of the foundations upon which our specialty was established. From LeMonnier, the French dentist that performed the first documented cleft palate repair, to Dr. Chalmers Lyons, the University of Michigan oral surgery chair who established the largest cleft practice in America, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons have always been pioneers in this field. As such, it really falls on our shoulders to drive craniofacial research forward, and to educate the public about these new emerging frontiers. There is continuously new and exciting research and treatment innovation, and the public should be aware that Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons are at the forefront of this.
What is something you wished the public knew about patients with a craniofacial disorder?
That it’s OK! These conditions often have multifactorial etiologies, and are not anyone’s fault, nor related to any one particular event. These are beautiful, wonderful children that just happen to be born with a cleft or craniofacial difference!
What qualities do you want to see in future surgeons in this subspecialty?
I think our grit and determination is what sets us apart. I think this stems from our combined dental, medical and surgical background, and the long, difficult path that we choose to take to get here. That being said, being an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and pediatric craniofacial surgeon can be challenging. We often have to go out of our way to prove ourselves and our capabilities, when others don’t necessarily have to do so, just to be able to provide the treatment we are trained to do. So I would say, maintaining that determination, standing up and advocating for yourself, getting on your local cleft teams, packing up and going on cleft mission trips, and doing all of the procedures that you’re well-trained and qualified to do, and you will have a very fun and rewarding career ahead of you.