Facial Trauma and Oral Surgery: How We Help You Heal
By Dr. Jeffrey Chandler
A serious injury to the face is frightening in a way that few other injuries are. The face is where we eat, speak, breathe, and show the world who we are, and it is built from a dense, delicate mix of bone, nerves, teeth, and soft tissue. When something goes wrong, the stakes feel very personal.
Here is the reassuring part. Facial injuries are common, and they are treatable. More than three million people are seen in United States emergency rooms for facial trauma each year, and oral and maxillofacial surgeons are among the specialists trained specifically to repair these injuries and guide the healing that follows. This article explains what facial trauma involves, why an oral surgeon is often the right person to treat it, and what recovery looks like.
If it is an emergency, get emergency care first
Before anything else: a severe facial injury can be a medical emergency. If there is heavy bleeding that will not stop, trouble breathing or swallowing, a change in vision, loss of consciousness, or a head injury, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away. Once you are stable, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon can step in to evaluate the injury, carry out repairs, and manage your recovery and follow-up care.
What counts as facial trauma
Facial trauma, also called maxillofacial trauma, is any physical injury to the face or jaws. It ranges from minor to severe and generally falls into a few categories:
- Soft tissue injuries. Cuts and lacerations, along with bruises and burns, to the skin and gums.
- Dental injuries. Teeth that are knocked out, loosened, cracked, or broken.
- Facial fractures. Broken bones of the face, which can involve the lower jaw (mandible), the upper jaw (maxilla), the palate, the cheekbones (zygomas), the eye sockets (orbits), and the nose, sometimes in combination.
- Injuries to special structures. Damage to the facial nerves or the salivary glands and their ducts, which sit close to the surface and need careful attention.
Because these structures are packed so tightly together, a single injury often affects more than one of them at once. A fractured cheekbone, for example, can come with a facial laceration and a loosened tooth.
Why an oral and maxillofacial surgeon
Not every doctor is trained to treat the face, and the reason an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is often the right specialist comes down to a specific combination of skills.
These surgeons complete both dental and surgical training, which gives them a deep understanding of the bones and soft tissues of the face along with something just as important: how the teeth fit together. That bite relationship, known as occlusion, is central to repairing the face correctly. A jaw fracture that is even slightly misaligned can leave the teeth meeting improperly, affecting chewing and comfort for years. Restoring the bite is one of the things oral surgeons are specifically trained to get right.
At Elmhurst Oral Surgery, Dr. Jeffrey W. Chandler brings an unusually strong background to this work. He holds both a dental degree (DDS) and a medical degree (MD), is board-certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. That dual training in medicine and dentistry is exactly the foundation facial trauma care calls for.
For complex injuries, oral surgeons also work as part of a team, collaborating with specialists in areas like ophthalmology, ear-nose-and-throat, and plastic surgery to make sure every part of a combined injury is addressed.
How facial injuries are evaluated
Good treatment starts with an accurate picture of the damage. That usually means a thorough physical examination along with imaging, such as an X-ray or a CT scan, to understand exactly what has been affected.
In some situations, part of the treatment is intentionally delayed. When there is significant swelling, or when more urgent injuries need to be handled first, a surgeon may wait for the swelling to settle before making a final repair. That is a deliberate choice in service of a better result, not a delay in care.
How we help you heal
The principles of treating a facial injury are, in some ways, similar to setting any broken bone: the pieces need to be lined up (reduction) and held in place (fixation) long enough to heal. What makes the face unique is the precision and the attention to appearance that the work demands. Depending on the injury, treatment may involve:
- Repairing fractures. Broken facial bones are realigned and stabilized, often using small plates and screws. This approach, called rigid fixation, has largely replaced older techniques that required wiring the jaws shut, and it lets many patients return to normal function far more quickly.
- Caring for soft tissue. Lacerations are cleaned and closed with careful suturing. Beyond simply repairing the cut, a surgeon inspects for damage to nearby structures like facial nerves and salivary ducts, and places incisions thoughtfully so that any resulting scar is as small and hidden as much as possible.
- Addressing injured teeth. Teeth that have been knocked out or loosened may be reimplanted or stabilized when the situation allows.
Through all of it, the goal is the same: to restore both how your face works and how it looks, as close to its original state as possible.
Recovery and follow-up
Healing from facial trauma follows many of the same principles as other oral surgery. You can expect a period of swelling and tenderness, a soft-food diet for a while, careful oral hygiene, and limits on strenuous activity as things mend. The exact timeline depends heavily on the type and severity of the injury, and more complex repairs naturally take longer.
Follow-up matters here more than almost anywhere. Returning for scheduled visits lets us monitor how the bone and tissue are healing, confirm that your bite has come back together correctly, and catch any concerns early. Recovery from a facial injury is a process, and we walk through it with you rather than sending you off at the door.
Preventing facial injuries
Some accidents cannot be avoided, but many facial injuries can. If you or your children play contact or recreational sports, a properly fitted mouthguard and appropriate protective headgear make a real difference. Wearing a seatbelt every time and taking basic fall precautions at home round out the simplest, most effective protections.
When to reach out to us
For an active emergency, the emergency room comes first. But if you have had a facial injury and need evaluation, ongoing care, a second opinion, or help managing your recovery, we are here. Dr. Chandler’s training and experience mean that many facial injuries can be assessed and treated with the goal of restoring both your function and your appearance.
Elmhurst Oral Surgery
Jeffrey W. Chandler, DDS, MD, Board-Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
360 W. Butterfield Rd., Suite 220, Elmhurst
630-833-0395
elmhurstoralsurgery.com
This article is general educational information and is not a substitute for professional medical evaluation. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.