Prof. Dr. Selçuk Basa

Published: 5 October 2026 · Updated: 5 October 2026 · Author: Prof. Dr. Selçuk Basa

Prof. Dr. Selçuk Basa is a professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery. He has more than 40 years of experience in the surgical treatment of dentofacial deformities and has served as dean of two faculties (Dean of Marmara University Faculty of Dentistry, 2004–2007; Founding Dean of Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Dentistry, 2019–2026). His academic archive comprises 64 records (papers, conference presentations, invited lectures), including 30 papers in international peer-reviewed (SCI-indexed) journals, and he has published work on distraction osteogenesis and computer-assisted surgical planning in international journals. Since 2026 he has continued all his academic and clinical work independently, under his own name, in Nişantaşı, Istanbul, where he has been in private practice since 1994. This page answers the question "Who is Selçuk Basa?" in one place.

Education

He graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry in 1982. He completed his specialty training and PhD in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Hacettepe University in 1986. After specialisation he continued his training abroad through observership and visiting-clinician programmes in the United States and Europe; distraction osteogenesis and orthognathic surgery have been his main fields of interest from the beginning of his career.

Academic and clinical career: chronology

• 1982 — Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry: degree in dentistry
• 1986 — Hacettepe University: specialty training and PhD in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• 1986–1991 — Pasteur French Hospital, Istanbul: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• 1991–1994 — Selçuk University Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Associate Professor
• 1994–2016 — Marmara University Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Professor; Dean, 2004–2007
• 2016–2019 — Acıbadem University, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Professor (post completed)
• 2019–2026 — Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Dentistry: Founding Dean and Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (post completed)
• Since 1994 — private practice in Nişantaşı, Istanbul: clinical and surgical work with a multidisciplinary team (operations are performed in fully equipped partner hospitals); since 2026 all academic and clinical work has continued independently, under his own name

At Marmara University he taught oral and maxillofacial surgery for 22 years, trained many specialists and faculty members, and served as Dean of the Faculty from 2004 to 2007. After his post at Acıbadem University, in 2019 he led the establishment of Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Dentistry as its Founding Dean; during this period the international IAOMS Fellowship Programme was hosted there. His association with both universities ended when these posts were completed.

Areas of expertise

• Orthognathic (corrective jaw) surgery and bimaxillary (double-jaw) surgery
• Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) in obstructive sleep apnoea
• Distraction osteogenesis — mandibular, maxillary (RED), alveolar and transport distraction
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery — arthrocentesis, arthroscopy, open joint surgery, treatment of ankylosis and custom-made total joint replacement
• Genioplasty (chin surgery) and skeletal jaw corrections; jaw-skeleton surgery in men (BASA MALE, in English)
• Preprosthetic and reconstructive surgery — bone grafting, sinus floor elevation, segmental osteotomy, implant rehabilitation of severely atrophic jaws
• Cleft lip and palate and craniofacial anomalies; cysts and tumours of the jaws; maxillofacial trauma
• Computer-assisted and AI-assisted three-dimensional surgical planning

Digital surgical planning research

He has worked on computer-assisted surgical planning for more than 20 years. His 2009 paper in an international journal on the use of three-dimensional surgery and stereolithographic modelling for vector planning in maxillary distraction is one of his early publications in digital surgical planning. This work continues in his research on OrthoPlanner, AI-assisted 3D orthognathic planning software that he is developing himself; the software, which is at the research stage, aims to model bone movements, the occlusion and the effect on the airway in three dimensions on CT. At the invitation of EACMFS he gave a webinar on AI-assisted 3D planning, and on the same subject he took part as an invited speaker in the guest society session of the 28th EACMFS Congress, held in Athens in 2026.

Publications and techniques he developed

He has 30 papers in international peer-reviewed (SCI-indexed) journals, numerous presentations at international congresses, invited lectures and a book chapter; all records are listed, searchable by topic, type and year, on the Academic Archive page (in Turkish) (see also Publications). Some of the original techniques and studies he has contributed to the literature:

• The role of computer-aided 3D surgery and stereolithographic modelling for vector orientation in premaxillary and trans-sinusoidal maxillary distraction osteogenesis (Int J Med Robot, 2009)
• Simple technique to minimise facial scarring during extraoral mandibular distraction (Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2012)
• A novel anchorage technique for transnasal traction in rigid external maxillary distraction (Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2013)
• Does ultrasonic resorbable pin fixation offer predictable results for augmentation eminoplasty in recurrent dislocations? (J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2014)
• Implant rehabilitation for extremely atrophic maxillae (Cawood VI) with Le Fort I downgrafting and autogenous iliac block grafts: a 4-year follow-up study (Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants, 2016)
• Prevalence of nasolacrimal canal obstruction and epiphora following maxillary orthognathic surgery (Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2018)
• Comparison of bicortical, miniplate and hybrid fixation techniques in mandibular advancement and counterclockwise rotation: a finite element analysis study (J Stomatol Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2021)

Citation data for his publications are available on his Google Scholar profile; his ORCID iD is 0000-0002-9135-1011.

Invited lectures

• 28th EACMFS Congress, Athens, 2026 — invited lecture in the guest society session
• SORG Course, Tuttlingen (Germany), 2025 — intraoral autogenous bone grafts in preprosthetic surgery
• 24th ICOMS World Congress, Rio de Janeiro, 2019 — Sleep Apnoea Symposium: "Stability of the airway dimension after bimaxillary advancement"
• 12th Biennial International Conference on Reconstructive Preprosthetic Surgery, Charleston (USA), 2007
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA), 2006 — ten years of experience in distraction osteogenesis
• 2nd International Congress on Cranial and Facial Bone Distraction, Paris, 1999
• Tehran and Tabriz (Iran) and Tel Aviv (Israel) — invited lectures

All invited lectures, courses and sessions, newest first: Invited lectures and courses.

International roles and memberships

• SORG — Strasbourg Osteosynthesis Research Group, Faculty Member, Preprosthetic Section; organiser, operating surgeon and instructor of the SORG Istanbul live surgery courses; since 2013, lectures on bone grafting and 3D virtual surgical planning at the courses in Belek, Groningen and Tuttlingen
• IAOMS — International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Councillor
• EACMFS — European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, member; invited webinar on AI-assisted 3D planning
• AO CMF — AO Craniomaxillofacial, member
• AÇBİD — Ağız ve Çene-Yüz Cerrahisi Birliği Derneği, founding member (2006); served a term as president of the association's board; live surgery and teaching at its congresses and courses

Surgical approach and ethical principles

The core concept of his approach is to combine modern digital planning with decades of surgical experience: the software shows the options, and experience decides which option is right for that particular face. In planning, function — occlusion, chewing, breathing — takes priority; every plan is built with the airway and long-term stability taken into account. Not everyone is a candidate for surgery; if the examination shows that surgery would not make a meaningful contribution, he says so plainly. Patients' expectations are calibrated with data, simulation and an honest conversation. These principles describe how he works in practice, not only the wording that regulations require.

Teaching

Over a university career of more than thirty years he provided specialty and doctoral training in oral and maxillofacial surgery and contributed to the training of many specialists and faculty members. Within SORG he organised live surgery courses in Istanbul and taught bone grafting, preprosthetic surgery and three-dimensional virtual surgical planning at the international courses in Belek, Groningen and Tuttlingen. He has performed live surgery and taught at AÇBİD congresses and courses; in 2024 he gave a presentation on orthognathic surgery in the AÇBİD "Uzmanlar" (Experts) session. At the centre of his approach to teaching is the principle that a surgical decision is made by asking "why" and "when not" as much as "how".

Two identities: surgeon and composer

Alongside his surgical career, Selçuk Basa has a parallel life in music: as a composer and performer he has released three albums (Aşk Bekler Mi?, Amorf, 4 Mevsim 1 Hikaye) and numerous singles. His music has a separate website, selcukbasa.net; his surgical and academic work is presented only on this site, maxillofacial.com (selcukbasa.com redirects here).

Contact

Nişantaşı, Istanbul, Türkiye · ORCID: 0000-0002-9135-1011 · Google Scholar

Frequently asked questions

Is Selçuk Basa still at Bahçeşehir or Acıbadem University?

No. He has completed his posts at Acıbadem University (2016–2019) and as Founding Dean of Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Dentistry (2019–2026); he continues his work independently, under his own name.

What is his specialty?

He is a professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery; his main fields are orthognathic surgery, sleep apnoea surgery, distraction osteogenesis, temporomandibular joint surgery and joint replacement, genioplasty, and preprosthetic and reconstructive surgery.

How many years of experience does he have?

He has been a dentist since 1982 and an oral and maxillofacial surgeon since 1986; his surgical experience exceeds 40 years.

Where can I find his publications?

All his publications, presentations and lectures can be searched by topic in the Academic Archive on this site (see also Publications); citation data are available on his Google Scholar profile.

This page describes Prof. Dr. Selçuk Basa's professional background and publications. It is not medical advice.