FACIAL TRAUMA
Facial trauma refers to any physical injury to the face due to a motor vehicle accident, sports injury, interpersonal violence, accidental fall, or a work-related injury. At Park Smiles NYC, we understand the emotional, functional and cosmetic impact of facial trauma and are committed to providing our patients with the finest and most comprehensive oral and maxillofacial restorative care.
emergency room coverage
- Facial bone fractures or facial lacerations
- Oral injuries or lacerations
- Loose teeth, fractured teeth or knocked-out teeth
- Infected wisdom teeth or other facial infections Locked jaw (inability to open or close the mouth)
What Are The Different Types Of Facial Injuries?
Mandible
fractures
Can result from any direct physical trauma or blunt trauma to the face. Many patients who sustain a mandible fracture will present with pain in the lower jaw, and a complaint that their teeth are not coming together. Patients with a mandible fracture may also have numbness of their lower face or lower lip, or may be unable to open their mouth. Treatment of mandible fractures may require that the teeth be wired together during the surgery so that titanium plates and screws can be applied to realign the broken bones.
Le Fort
fractures
Are facial fractures involving the maxillary bone and surrounding structures. Amongst the many signs and symptoms, patients with Le Fort fractures may present with swelling of the upper lip, inability to put their teeth together, facial swelling and bruising, and numbness in the mid face region. Just like with mandible fractures, Le Fort fractures sometimes require that during the surgery, teeth be wired together to realign the broken bones with titanium plates and screws, and then the teeth are usually unwired at the end of the procedure.
Zygomaticomaxillary
Complex Fractures
(Cheek fractures)
May cause visible deformity, and since the cheek bone also forms part of the eye socket, these fractures may involve fractures of the eye socket. Just like with the treatment of other facial fractures, the surgical correction of cheek fractures may require using titanium plates and screws to hold the bones together.
Nasal fractures
or broken noses
Are very common facial surgeries that the oral & maxillofacial surgeon corrects. The injuries can occur from relatively minor trauma, such as falling against a door, or being hit with an elbow during a sports game. Patients with a nose fracture will often notice that their nose is swollen and that it is pushed over to one side. When treated shortly after the injury, broken noses may be treated by a “closed reduction” – which means that the nose is manipulated and molded back to the midline. Sometimes, however, a closed reduction may not completely correct the fracture, and additional procedures may be required several weeks or months later.
Injuries to the teeth and
surrounding dental structures
Are also treated by Dr. Cohen at Park Smiles NYC. These types of injuries may involve treating fractures of the bone that surrounds your teeth and re-implanting teeth which have been displaced or “knocked out”. These types of injuries are treated by one of a number of forms of “splinting” (stabilizing by wiring or bonding teeth together). If a tooth is “knocked-out”, immediately place it in milk. The sooner the tooth is re-inserted into the dental socket, the better chance it will survive. Therefore, the patient should call and see us as soon as possible. Never attempt to “wipe the tooth off”, since remnants of the ligament which hold the tooth in the jaw may still be on the tooth and are vital to the success of replanting the tooth. In the event that injured teeth cannot be saved or repaired, dental bone grafting may need to be performed to preserve enough bone structure for future procedures involving dental implants, to replace these missing teeth.
How Are Facial Injuries Treated?
Treatment for the various facial traumas can range from surgical options (in cases such as mandible, Le Fort, and cheek fractures) to merely splinting (for injuries to the teeth and surrounding dental structures). As with all procedures, Dr. Cohen’s primary goal is to serve the best interests of his patients and restore the maximum possible functionality and structure.Attaining a healthy, beautiful smile is like a Walk in the Park – at Park Smiles NYC!
PARK SMILES NYC
Creating world-class smiles with a universal approach to empathetic dental care