You’ve heard the phrase, “Accidents happen,” but knowing accidents are a part of life does not prepare you for the repercussions of a serious accident when you or a loved one are involved. Facial trauma can involve serious injuries that must be treated quickly by an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon to ensure complete recovery and proper aesthetics.
Oral Surgery Michiana’s Facial Trauma Expertise
Dr. Collins, Dr. Hull, and Dr. Nizza are experienced in treating all types of head trauma, facial injuries, and neck trauma. Their compassion and expertise make the journey to recovery easier because they understand how painful and emotionally difficult facial trauma is for their patients.
State-of-the-art technologies and innovative approaches to facial and neck reconstruction and repair are the cornerstones of our approach. Our mission at Oral Surgery Michiana is to provide optimal treatment with minimal pain and personal support throughout your recovery. We aim to get your life back to normal as quickly as possible.
What is Head Trauma?
Any severe injury to the head, skull, face, or brain is considered head trauma. This may include fractured bones, lacerations, open wounds, or internal bleeding. Injuries that fall into the head trauma category may consist of fractures of the jaws and teeth, fractured or crushed facial bones, and soft tissue injuries to the head, mouth, or face. Common head trauma injuries include fractured eye sockets, jaws, and cheekbones. Head trauma can cause severe damage to the underlying structures and muscles of the face, requiring reconstructive surgery to restore function and aesthetics.
Our doctors meet and exceed these modern standards. They are trained, skilled, and uniquely qualified to manage and treat facial trauma. They are on staff at local hospitals and deliver emergency room coverage for facial injuries, which include the following conditions:
- Facial lacerations
- Intraoral lacerations
- Avulsed (knocked out) teeth
- Fractured facial bones (cheek, nose, or eye socket)
- Fractured jaws (upper and lower jaw)
The Nature of Maxillofacial Trauma
There are a number of possible causes of facial trauma, such as motor vehicle accidents, accidental falls, sports injuries, interpersonal violence, and work-related injuries. Types of facial injuries can range from injuries to teeth to extremely severe injuries to the skin and bones of the face. Typically, facial injuries are classified as either soft tissue injuries (skin and gums), bone injuries (fractures), or injuries to special regions (such as the eyes, facial nerves, or the salivary glands).
Soft Tissue Injuries of the Maxillofacial Region
When soft tissue injuries, such as lacerations, occur on the face they are repaired by suturing. In addition to the obvious concern of providing a repair that yields the best cosmetic result possible, care is taken to inspect for and treat injuries to structures such as facial nerves, salivary glands, and salivary ducts (or outflow channels). Dr. Collins, Dr. Hull, and Dr. Nizza are well-trained oral and maxillofacial surgeons and are proficient at diagnosing and treating all types of facial lacerations.
Bone Injuries of the Maxillofacial Region
Fractures to the bones in the face are treated in a similar manner to fractures in other parts of the body. The specific form of treatment is determined by various factors, which include the location of the fracture, the severity of the fracture, and the age and general health of the patient. When an arm or leg is fractured a cast is often applied to stabilize the bone to allow for proper healing. Since a cast cannot be placed on the face, other means have been developed to stabilize facial fractures.
One of these options involves wiring the jaws together for certain fractures of the upper and/or lower jaw. Certain other types of fractures of the jaw are best treated and stabilized by the surgical placement of small plates and screws at the involved site. This technique of treatment can often allow for healing and eliminates the necessity of having the jaws wired together. This technique is called “rigid fixation” of a fracture. The relatively recent development and use of rigid fixation have profoundly improved the recovery period for many patients, allowing them to return to normal function more quickly.
The treatment of facial fractures should be accomplished in a thorough and predictable manner. More importantly, the patient’s facial appearance should be minimally affected. An attempt at accessing the facial bones through the fewest incisions necessary is always made. At the same time, the incisions that become necessary are designed to be small and, whenever possible, are placed so that the resultant scar is hidden.
Injuries to the Teeth & Surrounding Dental Structures
Isolated injuries to teeth are quite common and may require the expertise of various dental specialists. Oral surgeons usually are involved in treating fractures in the supporting bone, or in replanting teeth that 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 it should be placed in salt water or milk. The sooner the tooth is re-inserted into the dental socket the better chance it will survive. Therefore, the patient should see a dentist or oral surgeon as soon as possible. Never attempt to wipe the tooth off, since remnants of the ligament that hold the tooth in the jaw are attached and are vital to the success of replanting the tooth. Other dental specialists may be called upon, such as endodontists, who may be asked to perform root canal therapy, and/or restorative dentists, who may need to repair or rebuild fractured teeth. In the event that injured teeth cannot be saved or repaired, dental implants are often now utilized as replacements for missing teeth.
The proper treatment of facial injuries is now the realm of specialists who are well-versed in emergency care, acute treatment, long-term reconstruction, and rehabilitation of the patient.
