What You Need To Know About Broken Jaw Surgery

Broken jaw (known as a mandibular fracture) is one of the most commonly seen facial injuries. The jaw bone is the 10th most commonly broken bone in the human body as well as being the 2nd bone in the face, after the nose. Mandibular fracture is the result of a direct stroke or damage to the jawbone. The severity of the injury can change according to the degree of the traumatic event or accident. If you experience such accident, look for an excellent emergency dental care for your injury.

Common problems that people with a broken jaw suffered from are teeth deformity, continuous bleeding in the mouth, chronic and extreme pain, and problems in speaking, chewing or swallowing.

The broken jaw can be treated in almost every hospital. It is important to visit a hospital if you had trauma to your jaw and saw an oral surgeon to observe and evaluate your fracture. Your doctor will start your treatment according to the number of breaks on your jaw.

Mostly, broken jaw surgery is conducted after a general anesthetic so that the patient cannot feel the pain of the operation. The procedure of the surgery is as follows:

• You will have a physical examination for your jaw to see the movements of the mouth (especially the mandible) and check the jawbone’s stability for the surgery.
• Your surgeon will give you a general anesthetic to make you asleep.
• The surgery will start by making an incision in your mouth through the gum to reach for the fracture.
• Your surgeon will place small metal plates and screws to hold the fractures together.
• After the bone is reconstructed, your surgeon will close the incision by placing dissolvable stitches that will disappear within two weeks after the operation.

After the surgery, you may stay in the hospital for a day depending on your recovery. You will be given painkillers and antibiotics to avoid infection. Moreover, you may have serious pain and swelling for a couple of days after the operation. What you need to do is to pay attention to your oral hygiene and follow a soft diet during your recovery.