Leicester · Spire Leicester Hospital · Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital
A surgeon who will tell you when you don't need surgery
Mr Christopher Vinall FRCS(OMFS), Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon. Specialist care for the mouth, jaws and face.
Consultant‑led private assessment and treatment in Leicester: complex extractions and wisdom teeth, lumps and lesions of the mouth, face and neck, facial pain and jaw surgery.
- Qualified in medicine & dentistry
- NHS Consultant, University Hospitals of Leicester
- FRCS (OMFS)
- Royal College of Surgeons examiner
- Fellow, BAOMS
How can Chris help?
Start with the problem you're worried about
Most people don't arrive knowing the name of their condition. These are the reasons patients most often come to see Chris.
-
"My wisdom tooth keeps flaring up"
Impacted wisdom teeth, repeated infections and extractions your dentist would rather refer to a specialist.
Wisdom teeth & complex extractions -
"There's an ulcer or patch in my mouth that won't go"
Specialist examination, biopsy and treatment of ulcers, white or red patches and lumps in the mouth and on the lips.
Oral lesions & biopsy -
"I've a mole or lump on my face I'd like removed"
Removal of moles, cysts and other skin lesions of the face, scalp and neck, with the least visible scar.
Facial skin lesions -
"I've found a lump in my neck"
Prompt investigation and treatment of neck lumps, salivary gland swellings and other benign lumps of the head and neck.
Lumps in the head & neck -
"My jaw aches, clicks or I grind my teeth"
Assessment and treatment of jaw‑joint problems, teeth clenching and the muscle pain they cause in the face and temples.
Facial pain & jaw joint
All treatments, including jaw cysts, corrective jaw surgery and scar revision →
Seeing a surgeon does not mean you need surgery
The right treatment may be no treatment at all
Sometimes the best decision is to leave a wisdom tooth alone. Sometimes a lesion is better monitored than removed. Sometimes jaw pain needs time, a splint or a different kind of treatment rather than an operation.
Chris's job is not to persuade you to have surgery. It is to understand what is happening, explain the options clearly and recommend what he believes is right for you.
If that means an operation, he will explain why. If it means waiting, watching or doing nothing at all, he will tell you that too.
When Chris may tell you not to have surgery
There are plenty of situations where an operation is not the best first step. Chris may recommend against surgery when:
- a wisdom tooth is healthy and unlikely to cause future problems
- a cyst or lesion can safely be monitored
- the risks of an operation outweigh the likely benefit
- jaw discomfort is more likely to respond to conservative treatment
- symptoms are likely to settle with time
- further investigation is needed before deciding what to do
The aim is not to operate. The aim is to reach the right decision.
A note from Chris
The least intervention that solves the problem properly
"My starting point is always the same: what is the least intervention we need to solve the problem properly? Sometimes that means surgery. Sometimes it means watching and waiting. I want patients to understand why I am recommending something, and what the alternatives are."
Mr Christopher VinallA specialty many people haven't heard of
Why see an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon?
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is unusual because its specialists train in both medicine and dentistry before completing specialist surgical training. Chris qualified first as a dentist, then as a doctor, then as a surgeon.
That means he has been trained to diagnose and treat conditions of the mouth, jaws, face and neck from both a medical and a dental perspective, and to take responsibility for the whole problem rather than one half of it.
But qualifications are only part of it. For a patient, the important thing is having someone who can look at the whole problem, explain it without jargon and help you decide what, if anything, needs to be done.
Your care, step by step
What happens when you come to see Chris
Most people contemplating surgery are anxious about it. Knowing what will happen, and in what order, helps.
- 1
Consultation
Chris listens, examines you and reviews or arranges any X‑rays or scans. He explains what he thinks is going on in plain language.
- 2
Diagnosis and plan
The options, including doing nothing where that's reasonable, with an honest account of the risks and a written summary and quote before anything is booked.
- 3
Treatment
Carried out by Chris himself at Spire or Nuffield Leicester, under local anaesthetic, sedation or general anaesthetic as suits you.
- 4
Recovery and aftercare
Chris gives you his own mobile number. You can text or call him at any time, day or night, if you have a concern, and he sees you himself at follow‑up.
Aftercare
Looked after, afterwards
An operation may take one to two hours. Recovering from it takes days, and that is when the questions come. Chris's rule is that you should never be left wondering.
- After your operation Chris gives you his own mobile number. If you have any concern, you can text or call him at any time, day or night.
- You go home with written aftercare instructions: what's normal, what isn't, and what to do about it. The hospital also gives you the ward's number.
- Chris sees you himself at follow‑up, usually two to four weeks after surgery. Nobody else stands in.
- Follow‑up appointments are included in the fixed price of your treatment.
- Your dentist and GP receive a letter, so everyone looking after you knows what has been done.
About Chris
An experienced surgeon who also trains the next generation
Chris is a Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at University Hospitals of Leicester, where he is clinical lead for orthognathic (facial deformity) surgery, and he sees private patients at Spire Leicester Hospital and Nuffield Health Leicester Hospital.
He qualified in dentistry at King's College London and in medicine at Trinity College Dublin, completed his higher surgical training in the South West of England, and holds the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Alongside his clinical work he is an examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Education Lead for his surgical directorate at University Hospitals of Leicester and Lead Educational Supervisor for the hospital's Foundation doctors. He has contributed chapters on the management of facial fractures to two leading surgical textbooks.
Your consultation
What to expect
A first appointment is a conversation as much as an examination. Chris will listen to what has been happening, examine you, review any X‑rays or scans (or arrange them), and explain what he thinks is going on and what the options are. Where treatment is needed, you'll leave with a clear plan, a written summary and a quote before anything is booked.
Fees & insurance
Clear costs, no surprises
An initial consultation is £275 and a follow‑up is £175 at both hospitals. Chris is recognised by Bupa, Aviva, Vitality, Aetna and Healix, and self‑funding patients receive a fixed quote for any treatment before it goes ahead.
Arrange a consultation
Book directly online with either hospital, or contact Chris's private secretaries, who handle appointments, referrals, insurance pre‑authorisation and self‑funded bookings. You don't need a referral to make an appointment, though your insurer may ask for one.