A broken jaw is one of the most common and painful injuries to the face. Around half of all fractures that occur in the head area affect the jaw. This is often caused by accidents, contact sports and violence such as punches or kicks. Depending on the severity of the injury, surgery may be necessary.
Here you will find further information as well as selected specialists and centers that treat jaw fractures.
A jaw fracture is an injury to one or more bones in the
The teeth are often severely affected by this injury. This is particularly the case if the tooth-bearing part of a jaw has been damaged.
Fractures often occur in sport, especially in contact sports (martial arts, ice hockey). However, other forms of violence can also lead to these fractures.
A glance at the jaw and teeth may be enough. The suspicion of a jaw fracture is confirmed if
If a jaw fracture is suspected, the patient is usually sent for an X-ray. X-rays are still the first choice for bone fractures in general: they are usually good at detecting fractures. The doctor can use these images to see how badly the bone in question is damaged.
If the injury is complicated or the extent cannot be clearly determined, a computer tomography or MRI scan is also possible. An MRI can also reveal other defects that may be associated with damage to the bone in the event of an injury.
Bridges, such as a jaw fracture, can usually be detected very well using X-rays © Popova Olga | AdobeStock
The treatment depends on the extent of the damage. In any case, initial treatment should be given within 48 hours of the accident. During the initial treatment, the pain is treated and the doctor applies temporary splinting.
If the bones in the upper and/or lower jaw are severely affected, surgery is often performed afterwards. The surgeon not only treats the fracture but also restores the function of the jaw. The teeth are also straightened.
Conservative therapy may be indicated for broken bones. The bones are also fixed with splints.
If the damage is more severe, surgery is unavoidable. One of the most common surgical procedures is to treat the fracture site. A reduction is often necessary here.
The bones are then fixed in place. Even today, the Schuchardt splint, which looks like a wire frame, is still sometimes used for fixation. However, this method has some disadvantages:
The use of a mini plate osteosynthesis is now more modern. It is performed under general anesthesia. It allows the mouth to be opened immediately after the operation.
A few months after the operation, these plates are removed again in a further procedure under local anesthesia. As with other bone fractures, pressure on the fracture is also important for healing.
The healing time depends on various factors. Were there any complications during the operation? Did the patient follow the doctor's instructions exactly? These are just two aspects that have an influence on the recovery time.
As a rule, a jaw fracture heals within a period of four to six weeks. After this time, full weight-bearing capacity is possible again under normal circumstances. However, wound healing disorders or infections can also occur here - for example after an operation - which can delay the healing time.
In the case of this injury, the patient should be treated by a specialist in the field of maxillofacial surgery (mouth, jaw, face). Such a specialist can not only help with the treatment of the damaged bone material. In the case of a jaw fracture, the teeth are often also loose or severely damaged so that they also need to be treated.
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