See an oral surgeon as soon as possible after any facial trauma that affects your teeth, gums, jaw, or the soft tissue of your mouth, since prompt treatment often determines whether a tooth or a fracture can be fully restored. Facial trauma is unique in that traditional healing methods are not always applicable. For example, if you fracture a bone in your face, a cast cannot be applied in the same way it would to an arm or a leg. Whether the injury comes from a motor vehicle accident, a sports-related incident, or another cause, there are many circumstances where an oral surgeon can address the specific healing methods facial trauma requires.
An oral surgeon is trained to handle everything related to your oral health: your teeth, your gums, jaw bone, and the surrounding area. When your facial trauma has resulted in missing or dislodged teeth, a fractured jaw bone, or other related injuries, Legacy Oral Surgery is equipped to help. With a team of qualified restorative and cosmetic surgeons, we can quickly address your facial trauma and get you on a path to healing.
How an Oral Surgeon Can Help
When facial trauma has directly affected your mouth, teeth, or gums, it is important to reach out to a qualified oral surgeon as soon as possible. They can immediately get to work restoring the function and appearance of your injury. Examples of ways an oral surgeon can help include the following.
Dental Implants
Losing a tooth due to a facial injury can be painful and can also cause feelings of embarrassment or self-consciousness. If possible, try to preserve the avulsed or knocked-out tooth in milk or saline, or hold it in place in the socket, since the sooner it is stabilized, the better its chances of survival. Your oral surgeon can help clean the tooth and the socket and quickly restore any affected gum surface area. A periodontal splint will be used to stabilize the tooth to its neighbors while it heals to ensure it does not become dislodged or fall out again.
If the tooth cannot be saved, a dental implant may be used. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may need other care first, such as a bone graft or jaw realignment, before an implant can be placed.
Soft-Tissue Trauma
The soft tissue of your mouth is composed of your gums, cheeks, and lips. Any wounds can be properly cleaned and sutured by your oral surgeon, with special consideration given to nearby salivary glands and ducts. Facial trauma may also result in light scarring, which our team can help address as part of your recovery plan.
Our team is trained in the minimally invasive surgical procedures of maxillofacial surgery and can help restore and improve the appearance of scarring related to your injury.
Fractured or Broken Jaw
A jaw fracture is one of the more serious outcomes of facial trauma and can affect your ability to bite, chew, or speak comfortably. Depending on the location and severity of the break, treatment may involve wiring the jaw to keep it stable during healing or, in more complex cases, surgical repair using small plates and screws to realign the bone. Our post on maxillofacial trauma causes, treatment, and rehabilitation goes into more detail on how these injuries are diagnosed and treated.
Dislodged Teeth
A dislodged tooth, also known as a luxated tooth, is a tooth that has been forcibly moved out of its socket. These teeth are still physically present in the gums but need to be repositioned back into place. This typically requires root canal treatment, which is preferably conducted within a few days of the accident. After that procedure, your surgeon will reposition the tooth and stabilize it with a dental splint. Our post on the classifications of tooth luxation explains how surgeons determine the right treatment based on how severely a tooth has shifted.
For those under the age of 12, a root canal may not be necessary, since their teeth are still developing. For more specific information on which course of treatment would be best for you, reach out to one of our dedicated team members today.
When Facial Trauma Requires Emergency Care
Not every facial injury requires an emergency room visit, but certain signs point to a more urgent situation. Heavy or uncontrolled bleeding, visible bone displacement, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or loss of consciousness at the time of injury all warrant immediate emergency evaluation. For injuries limited to teeth, gums, or minor soft tissue that do not involve these warning signs, reaching out directly to an oral surgeon is often the faster and more targeted path to treatment. Athletes and active individuals may also find our post on oral surgery for sports-related facial injuries useful for understanding common causes and prevention strategies.
Experienced a Traumatic Dental Injury? Our Team Can Help Today
Time is of the essence when it comes to facial and dental injuries. The faster you reach out to our team of highly trained oral surgeons, the faster we can begin the treatment process. Using restorative and cosmetic dentistry practices, we work to ensure you leave Legacy Oral Surgery‘s facility satisfied with your care. For a broader look at what causes these injuries in the first place, our post on the common causes for traumatic dental injuries covers the situations we see most often.
How quickly should I see an oral surgeon after facial trauma?
You should seek care as soon as possible, ideally within a few hours of the injury. Prompt treatment significantly improves the chances of saving a knocked-out or dislodged tooth and allows soft tissue and bone injuries to be addressed before complications develop.
What should I do if a tooth gets knocked out?
Try to keep the tooth moist by storing it in milk or saline, or by gently placing it back in its socket if possible, and avoid touching the root. Seek treatment from an oral surgeon right away, since the tooth has the best chance of being saved within the first hour after the injury.
Should I go to the emergency room or an oral surgeon for facial trauma?
Go to the emergency room for heavy bleeding, visible bone displacement, difficulty breathing, or loss of consciousness. For injuries limited to teeth, gums, or minor soft tissue without these warning signs, an oral surgeon can typically provide faster, more targeted treatment.
Can a fractured jaw heal without surgery?
Some minor jaw fractures can heal with the jaw wired or splinted into a stable position, while more significant breaks often require surgical repair with plates and screws to properly realign the bone. Your surgeon will determine the right approach based on imaging and the severity of the fracture.
Will a dislodged tooth need a root canal?
In most cases, a dislodged tooth will need root canal treatment after it has been repositioned and stabilized, typically within a few days of the injury. Children under 12 with teeth that are still developing may not require this step, depending on the surgeon’s evaluation.
For a cost-effective, painless, and quick experience, schedule a consultation and examination today by calling (201) 601-9262 or filling out a contact form.
