Facial Trauma
& Injuries
How Serious is Facial Trauma?
Facial trauma, also known as maxillofacial trauma, can be a very complex injury. Usually, it requires special attention from a qualified oral surgeon. It’s almost never something you want to treat at home with an ice pack. In addition, maxillofacial patients usually face long treatment times.
We’ve put this page together to help you gain a better understanding of facial trauma, including what it is and how it is treated. We want to prevent you from making major mistakes which could cause problems for you in the future.
If you have recently experienced serious facial trauma and are in pain because of it, then that could be considered a dental emergency and you should contact one of our offices as soon as possible to be seen same day.
What is Maxillofacial
Trauma?
Maxillofacial trauma is any physical trauma to the face. This can include:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Burns
- Lacerations
- Bruises
- Fractures
- Broken bones, including nose, jaw, or cheekbones
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The most common sport and vehicle-related trauma to the mouth and jaws are dentoalveolar/tooth injuries and lower jaw fractures. A less common type is called a Le Fort injury (upper jaw fracture). Cheekbone fractures, known as zygoma, or orbital fractures, may also occur.
We also see patients with dentoalveolar injuries. This very long word refers both to the teeth and to the bone that supports the teeth. A sudden, direct blow to the mouth is the most common cause of injury. At times, these patients also experience numbness.