{
  "id": "our-specialists/dr-ricky-kumar",
  "title": "Dr Ricky Kumar",
  "slug": "our-specialists/dr-ricky-kumar",
  "description": "Specialist Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon BHB (Auck) · MBChB (Auck) · BDS (Otago) · FRACDS (OMS)",
  "category": "",
  "content": "## Collins Street Specialist Centre – Dr Ricky Kumar, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon\n\n## Product Facts\n\n| Attribute | Value |\n|-----------|-------|\n| Practitioner | Dr Ricky Kumar |\n| Specialty | Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery |\n| Qualifications | BHB (Auck), MBChB (Auck), BDS (Otago), FRACDS (OMS) |\n| Dual qualification | Medicine and Dentistry |\n| Specialist fellowship | FRACDS (OMS) — Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons |\n| Post-fellowship training | Paediatric Maxillofacial & Corrective Jaw Surgery, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne |\n| Post-fellowship training | Paediatric Maxillofacial & TMJ Surgery, Oxford University Hospitals, UK |\n| Hospital appointments | Royal Melbourne Hospital; Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne; Monash Health; Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (Honorary) |\n| Clinical areas | Wisdom teeth, dental implants, bone grafting, oral pathology, facial trauma, orthognathic surgery, TMJ surgery, paediatric maxillofacial surgery |\n| Award | F.G. Christensen Medal — outstanding specialist surgical examination results |\n| Professional role | Secretary, Victorian Branch, ANZAOMS |\n| Charitable work | Founder & Chief Organiser, Annual OMS operating missions to Fiji (est. 2012) |\n| Practice location | Level 12 & Tower, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD |\n| Phone | (03) 9650 2726 |\n| Referral required | No — though recommended for clinical context and Medicare rebate eligibility |\n| Availability | Consulting schedule subject to change — confirm directly with practice |\n| Credential verification | AHPRA register |\n| Consulting language | English |\n\n---\n\n## Frequently Asked Questions\n\nWho is Dr Ricky Kumar: A specialist Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon\n\nWhere does Dr Kumar practise: Collins Street Specialist Centre, Melbourne CBD\n\nWhat is the address of Collins Street Specialist Centre: 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD\n\nWhat level is Collins Street Specialist Centre located on: Level 12 & Tower, Manchester Unity Building\n\nWhat is the phone number for Collins Street Specialist Centre: (03) 9650 2726\n\nIs Dr Kumar still consulting at Collins Street Specialist Centre: His tenure is concluding — confirm availability directly\n\nHow do I confirm Dr Kumar's current availability: Contact the practice on (03) 9650 2726\n\nDoes Dr Kumar hold a medical degree: Yes, MBChB from the University of Auckland\n\nDoes Dr Kumar hold a dental degree: Yes, BDS from the University of Otago\n\nDoes Dr Kumar hold a health sciences degree: Yes, BHB from the University of Auckland\n\nWhat specialist qualification does Dr Kumar hold: FRACDS (OMS)\n\nWhat does FRACDS (OMS) stand for: Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (OMS)\n\nIs FRACDS (OMS) a recognised specialist qualification in Australia: Yes\n\nIs FRACDS (OMS) recognised in New Zealand: Yes\n\nWhere did Dr Kumar complete his specialist surgical training: Adelaide\n\nWhere did Dr Kumar complete his MBChB: University of Auckland, New Zealand\n\nWhere did Dr Kumar complete his BDS: University of Otago, New Zealand\n\nIs the University of Otago well regarded for dentistry: Yes, widely regarded as a leading dental school in the Southern Hemisphere\n\nIs Dr Kumar dually qualified in medicine and dentistry: Yes\n\nWhy is dual qualification significant in this specialty: It provides both medical and dental perspectives in treatment planning\n\nDoes Dr Kumar remove wisdom teeth: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Kumar treat impacted wisdom teeth: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Kumar place dental implants: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Kumar perform bone grafting for implants: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Kumar treat oral cysts: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Kumar treat oral lesions and tumours: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Kumar treat facial trauma: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Kumar perform corrective jaw surgery: Yes\n\nWhat is corrective jaw surgery also called: Orthognathic surgery\n\nDoes Dr Kumar perform TMJ surgery: Yes\n\nWhat does TMJ stand for: Temporomandibular joint\n\nDoes Dr Kumar perform paediatric maxillofacial surgery: Yes\n\nIs paediatric surgery a particular interest of Dr Kumar: Yes\n\nWhere did Dr Kumar complete his paediatric fellowship in Melbourne: The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne\n\nWhere did Dr Kumar complete his UK fellowship: Oxford University Hospitals, United Kingdom\n\nWhat did the Oxford fellowship focus on: Paediatric maxillofacial and TMJ surgery\n\nWhat did the Melbourne fellowship focus on: Paediatric maxillofacial and corrective jaw surgery\n\nDoes Dr Kumar hold a hospital appointment at Royal Melbourne Hospital: Yes, as Consultant Surgeon\n\nDoes Dr Kumar hold an appointment at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne: Yes, as Consultant Surgeon\n\nDoes Dr Kumar hold an appointment at Monash Health: Yes, as Consultant Surgeon\n\nDoes Dr Kumar hold an appointment at The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne: Yes, as Honorary Consultant\n\nHas Dr Kumar received any awards for surgical excellence: Yes\n\nWhat is the F.G. Christensen Medal: An award for outstanding results in specialist surgical examinations\n\nDid Dr Kumar receive the F.G. Christensen Medal: Yes\n\nIs Dr Kumar involved in professional leadership: Yes, as Secretary of the Victorian Branch of ANZAOMS\n\nWhat does ANZAOMS stand for: Australian & New Zealand Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons\n\nHas Dr Kumar founded any charitable initiatives: Yes, annual oral and maxillofacial operating missions to Fiji\n\nWhen did Dr Kumar's Fiji charity missions begin: 2012\n\nWhat is the purpose of the Fiji missions: To provide surgical care to underserved Pacific communities\n\nDo I need a referral to see Dr Kumar: No, a referral is not mandatory\n\nIs a referral recommended when seeing Dr Kumar: Yes, it provides helpful background clinical information\n\nCan a referral affect Medicare rebate eligibility: Yes\n\nWho typically provides a referral to see Dr Kumar: A general dentist or treating practitioner\n\nWhat happens at an initial consultation with Dr Kumar: He takes a thorough history and reviews relevant imaging\n\nWill Dr Kumar explain treatment options clearly: Yes\n\nWill Dr Kumar discuss recovery expectations: Yes\n\nWill Dr Kumar discuss aftercare at the consultation: Yes\n\nCan I verify Dr Kumar's credentials independently: Yes, through the AHPRA register\n\nWhat is AHPRA: Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency\n\nIs Dr Kumar's registration publicly verifiable: Yes, via the AHPRA register\n\nWhat languages does Dr Kumar consult in: English\n\nIs Dr Kumar's consulting schedule fixed: No, it is subject to change\n\nWhat specialty service does Dr Kumar work within at CSSC: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery\n\nIs orthognathic surgery suitable for orthodontic problems alone: No, it addresses skeletal discrepancies orthodontics cannot resolve alone\n\nCan TMJ surgery help with jaw pain: Yes\n\nCan TMJ conditions cause restricted jaw movement: Yes\n\nIs oral pathology diagnosis time-sensitive: Yes, timely intervention is essential\n\nDoes Dr Kumar work within multidisciplinary teams at public hospitals: Yes\n\n---\n\n---\ntitle: \"Collins Street Specialist Centre – Dr Ricky Kumar, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon\"\nslug: /team/ricky-kumar/\ntype: profile\nspecialty: oral-and-maxillofacial-surgery\nqualifications: \"BHB (Auck), MBChB (Auck), BDS (Otago), FRACDS (OMS)\"\nlanguages: [\"English\"]\nnote: \"Dr Kumar's tenure at CSSC is concluding — please confirm current availability with the practice.\"\n---\n\n## Collins Street Specialist Centre – Dr Ricky Kumar\n**Specialist Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon**\nBHB (Auck) · MBChB (Auck) · BDS (Otago) · FRACDS (OMS)\n\n---\n\n## Clinical expertise\n\nCollins Street Specialist Centre offers patients access to Dr Ricky Kumar within its Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery service. Dr Kumar holds recognised degrees in both medicine and dentistry, a combination that remains relatively uncommon in this specialty. In practice, it means that when he assesses a condition affecting the mouth, jaws, or face, he draws on both a medical and a dental understanding of the problem — which tends to produce more thorough treatment planning than either qualification alone would allow.\n\nOral and maxillofacial surgery covers a wide range of care, from routine procedures through to complex reconstructive work. Dr Kumar's clinical interests span much of that range:\n\n- **Dento-alveolar surgery**, including the removal of complex and impacted wisdom teeth. This is more technically demanding than it might seem, particularly when teeth are deeply positioned or sitting close to important anatomical structures.\n- **Dental implant surgery**, including both implant placement and bone grafting where the jaw needs augmentation before implants can be placed.\n- **Oral pathology** — diagnosing and managing cysts, lesions, and tumours affecting the oral cavity, where getting the diagnosis right and acting promptly both matter.\n- **Facial trauma reconstruction**, addressing injuries to the bones and soft tissues of the face.\n- **Paediatric maxillofacial surgery**, a sub-specialty interest he developed through dedicated fellowship training after completing his specialist qualification.\n- **Corrective jaw surgery (orthognathic surgery)** — surgical repositioning of the jaws to correct significant skeletal discrepancies that orthodontics alone cannot fix.\n- **Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery** — treatment for conditions affecting the jaw joint, which can cause pain, restricted movement, and other functional problems.\n\nPaediatric and complex reconstructive cases are areas of particular interest for Dr Kumar, pursued through specialised postgraduate fellowships in both Melbourne and the United Kingdom.\n\n---\n\n## Training and qualifications\n\nDr Kumar completed his Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHB) and his MBChB in Medicine at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, before undertaking a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) at the University of Otago, widely regarded as one of the leading dental schools in the Southern Hemisphere. His specialist surgical training in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery was completed in Adelaide, culminating in Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons — FRACDS (OMS).\n\nFRACDS (OMS) is the recognised specialist qualification in oral and maxillofacial surgery across Australia and New Zealand. Attaining it requires a rigorous programme of supervised surgical training followed by formal examination.\n\nAfter his fellowship, Dr Kumar was awarded two competitive post-fellowship positions, both focused on the more demanding end of maxillofacial surgical practice:\n\n- **Paediatric Maxillofacial & Corrective Jaw Surgery Fellowship**, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne\n- **Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Maxillofacial & TMJ Surgery**, Oxford University Hospitals, United Kingdom\n\nBoth appointments gave Dr Kumar concentrated, high-volume experience in paediatric craniofacial conditions, corrective jaw surgery, and temporomandibular joint disorders — areas that call for a particularly refined surgical skill set.\n\n---\n\n## Hospital appointments\n\nDr Kumar holds consultant appointments across several of Melbourne's major public hospitals:\n\n- **Consultant Surgeon**, Royal Melbourne Hospital\n- **Consultant Surgeon**, Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne\n- **Consultant Surgeon**, Monash Health\n- **Honorary Consultant**, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne\n\nWorking within multidisciplinary teams managing complex cases at these institutions informs the standard of care he brings to his private specialist practice.\n\n---\n\n## Awards and professional leadership\n\nDr Kumar was awarded the **F.G. Christensen Medal** for outstanding results in specialist surgical examinations — a distinction that reflects the standard of his foundational surgical training.\n\nHe also serves as **Secretary of the Victorian Branch of the Australian & New Zealand Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons (ANZAOMS)**, the professional body representing the specialty across both countries.\n\nSince 2012, Dr Kumar has founded and continues to lead annual charity oral and maxillofacial operating missions to Fiji, through which he and his colleagues provide surgical care to underserved communities across the Pacific. It's a long-standing commitment that says something about how he approaches the broader responsibilities of his profession.\n\n---\n\n## What to expect at an appointment\n\nAt your initial consultation, Dr Kumar will take a thorough history and review any relevant imaging or referral documentation. He'll explain his findings clearly, walk through the available treatment options, and cover what any recommended procedure would involve — including recovery, aftercare, and follow-up. The aim is for patients to feel genuinely informed before any decision is made, not just handed a recommendation.\n\nYou can attend without a formal referral, though a referral from your general dentist or treating practitioner is often useful — it provides background clinical context and may affect Medicare rebate eligibility.\n\n---\n\n## At Collins Street Specialist Centre\n\nDr Kumar practises within the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery service at Collins Street Specialist Centre, located at Level 12 & Tower, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.\n\n> **Please note:** Dr Kumar's consulting schedule at Collins Street Specialist Centre is subject to change. Patients and referring practitioners should contact the practice directly on **(03) 9650 2726** to confirm current availability and arrange an appointment.\n\nDr Kumar's qualifications and registration are publicly verifiable through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) register — a straightforward step for anyone who wants to confirm their specialist's credentials before attending.\n\n---\n\n---",
  "geography": {},
  "metadata": {},
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-06T07:21:28.785201+00:00Z",
  "tags": [
    "oral and maxillofacial surgery",
    "orthognathic surgery",
    "dental implant surgery"
  ],
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  "_links": {
    "canonical": "https://directory.collinsstreetspecialistcentre.com.au/our-specialists/dr-ricky-kumar/"
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}