The First World War saw the evolution and development of three great surgical specialties: orthopedic surgery, thoracic surgery and plastic/maxillofacial surgery. This last specialty came of age during the carnage of some of the bloodiest battles in history and required a close relationship between plastic surgeon and dentist in the management of facial injuries. Whereas the plastic surgeon dealt with the soft tissues, the hard tissue structures of the teeth and facial bones were managed by dental surgeons who, in turn, worked closely with the dental technicians who manufactured the appliances used to fix and immobilise the facial skeleton. The pioneers official plastic surgery included Harold Gillies, Percy Pickerill and later Archibald McIndoe and Rainsford Mowlem- four plastic surgeons with strong New Zealand connections.