About Dr Dipesh Rao
A dual-qualified maxillofacial and craniofacial surgeon based in Bengaluru, with over sixteen years of focused experience in corrective jaw, cleft, and craniofacial surgery.
Surgeon and Educator
Dr Dipesh Rao is a maxillofacial surgeon based in Bengaluru, with more than sixteen years of focused experience in orthognathic (corrective jaw) surgery, craniofacial deformities, and cleft-related jaw corrections.
His clinical practice has been centred on jaw deformity correction rather than general maxillofacial surgery. Over the years, this concentration has allowed him to develop genuine depth in the diagnosis, planning, execution, and long-term follow-up of orthognathic cases, including complex asymmetries, revision surgeries, and patients with functional and airway concerns.
Orthognathic surgery is not a field that rewards shortcuts. It demands repetition, reflection, and judgment built over time. Much of Dr Rao's learning has come not only from operating, but from studying outcomes, managing complications, and refining decision-making across a wide range of cases.
Teaching and Mentorship
Alongside his clinical practice, Dr Rao is actively involved in teaching and mentoring other maxillofacial surgeons in orthognathic surgery. His teaching concentrates on the areas that most influence surgical outcomes:
- Surgical planning principles
- Translating orthodontic goals into stable skeletal outcomes
- Intra-operative decision making
- Managing asymmetry, relapse, and complications
- Respecting facial balance and airway considerations
Teaching has strongly shaped his own surgical philosophy. Explaining decisions to peers demands clarity and accountability, and that discipline in turn improves patient care.
Dr Rao is a regular invited international speaker at maxillofacial, craniofacial and sleep apnoea conferences. His contributions and discussions are usually alongside leading surgeons in both academic and clinical practice. These interactions allow him to reflect on the care he offers his own patients and to compare outcomes against global benchmarks. He takes pride in the fact that the ability to offer the same standard of care in the heart of south India is one reason visitors from around the world come to experience the centre's excellence.
Selected Invited Lectures and Faculty Positions
- Keynote speaker, 11th IASSACON, Amritsar, August 2025
- Faculty and panel moderator, ICOMS 2025, the International Conference on Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (IAOMS), Singapore, May 2025
- Invited lecture, International Fellowship Opportunities, SurgeON Events
- Faculty, 49th Annual Conference of the Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India (AOMSI), Visakhapatnam, December 2025
- Faculty at various national and international maxillofacial and craniofacial conferences and workshops, with presentations on cleft, craniofacial and orthognathic surgery
Training in Melbourne and Oxford
Dr Dipesh Rao is a dual-qualified maxillofacial surgeon who graduated from the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences for Dentistry and the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences for Medicine. Globally, only a small number of surgeons have trained in both Paediatric Maxillofacial Surgery and Craniofacial Surgery, and Dr Rao is one of them.
Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
He completed his Paediatric Maxillofacial fellowship at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, regarded as one of the finest children's hospitals in the world. There he gained extensive experience with virtual surgical planning technology, which he has carried forward into his practice in India.
Oxford Craniofacial Unit
He further trained through a Royal College of Surgeons supported fellowship at the Oxford Craniofacial Unit, one of the four National Craniofacial Centres in the United Kingdom, recognised internationally for its pioneering craniofacial work and well-integrated multidisciplinary practice.
Clinical Focus and Philosophy
Dr Rao's spectrum of work includes cleft lip and palate deformity, syndromic and non-syndromic craniosynostosis, complex facial deformity requiring orthognathic correction and distraction osteogenesis, and facial cosmetic procedures.
He believes in placing the child at the apex of care, with the doctor and parents forming the base of an interlinked relationship, providing continuity from antenatal diagnosis through to adulthood. His aspiration is a world in which every child born with a facial difference can explore their full potential and live without social stigma.
Beyond the operating theatre, Dr Rao is a wildlife photographer. His images have been published in Wild Planet magazine, and he received a certificate of appreciation from the Wildlife India Photography Awards in 2017.
My Qualifications
BDS, Bachelor of Dental Surgery
A four-year academic programme with an additional year of clinical internship, completed under the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. This grounding in dental biology, anatomy, and occlusion supports the precision required in complex craniofacial surgery.
MDS, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
A three-year speciality programme completed with honours under the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, where he was awarded the best outgoing student. The core concepts of facial trauma and oral surgery were established during this period.
Fellowship in Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery
A one-year intensive, hands-on training programme under expert mentorship, awarded after an exit examination by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences.
MBBS, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
The medical degree, awarded by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. Pursued after his dental and cleft training, it strengthened his understanding of craniofacial morphology.
FIBCSOMS
Fellowship of the International Board for Certification of Specialists in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, awarded to surgeons who demonstrate competency across a wide range of specialist work before an international expert panel.
AO CMF Fellowship
An eight-week fellowship awarded by AO CMF, an international association focused on modern, evidence-based training and surgical guidelines, completed at the MHH Institute in Hannover, Germany.
Fellowship in Paediatric Maxillofacial Surgery
A one-year fellowship at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne under experienced consultants, covering complex paediatric anomalies, orthognathic surgery, and virtual surgical planning.
Fellowship in Craniofacial Surgery
A fellowship at the Oxford Craniofacial Unit, affiliated to the Royal College of Surgeons, covering complex craniofacial anomalies, multidisciplinary management, and facial palsy care.
Research and Publications
Dr Rao's approach to surgery is evidence-based and informed by the wider academic literature. His peer-reviewed publications and academic profile can be reviewed in full through the profiles below, where his research contributions to maxillofacial and craniofacial surgery are indexed.
Arrange a Consultation
To discuss a craniofacial, cleft, or corrective jaw concern with Dr Dipesh Rao in Bengaluru, please get in touch.
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