Because injury to the face can be such a difficult experience for patients, a specialist is needed to ensure that the treatment and healing process will have as little impact as possible on long-term function and appearance. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons, such as Dr. Fleischmann, are uniquely equipped to treat facial trauma.

Dr. Fleischmann can treat the following conditions:

• Intra oral (within the mouth) lacerations
• Facial lacerations
• Avulsed (knocked out) teeth
• Fractured facial bones (cheek, nose, or eye socket)
• Fractured jaws (upper and lower jaw)

The Nature of Facial Trauma

Facial trauma results from any number of factors.  Motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries, violence and work related injuries are the most common causes. Injuries can range from cracked or missing teeth, to very severe damage done to the skin and bones of the face. Facial injuries are classified as “soft tissue” (skin and gums), “bony: (fractures), or “special regions” (eyes, facial nerves or salivary glands).

Soft Tissue Injuries

Suturing is used to repair lacerations and other soft tissue injuries to the face. Care is taken to not only repair the injury to maximize the cosmetic result, but to also ensure that facial nerves, salivary glands and ducts are inspected and repaired if necessary. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are specially trained and proficient at diagnosing and treating all types of facial lacerations.

Bone Injuries

Facial bone fractures are treated similarly to body fractures. After locating the fracture, identifying its severity and taking the patient’s age and health into consideration, a treatment plan is formed. It is important to note that casts cannot be used on the face as they are utilized on the rest of the body to heal bone injury.

One treatment option includes wiring the jaws together in certain facial bone injury cases. Other instances will be best served by rigid fixation, where small plates and screws are surgically placed at the site. This technique is often preferred, as it improves the recovery period by allowing the patient to return to normal function more rapidly.

The goal of any procedure is to effectively and thoroughly treat the facial fracture while minimally impacting the patient’s appearance. Dr. Fleischmann takes care to make as few incisions as possible, while making necessary incisions small and located in less visible areas.

Teeth and Surrounding Dental Structure Injuries

Injury to the teeth is common and typically involves the expertise of several dental specialists. Oral surgeons treat supporting bone fractures and replant displaced or missing teeth. Stabilizing by wiring or bonding teeth together, called splinting, is used to treat these types of injuries.

In the event that a tooth is knocked out, it should be placed in milk or salt water. Furthermore, the tooth should not be wiped off. The remaining ligaments are vital to replanting success. Time is of the essence, because the survival of the tooth is increased the sooner it is reinserted. The patient should contact their dentists or oral surgeon immediately. If a natural tooth cannot be replanted or repaired, dental implants are recommended.