Facial Trauma
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are highly trained, and skilled to evaluate and treat facial trauma. Naturally injuries to the face bear a lot of physical and emotional trauma. Here at Fort Lauderdale Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, we have “hands on” experience and understanding of how to provide treatment that will affect the patient’s appearance and long term function.
What are Types of Facial Trauma?
Dr. Hernandez is fully trained to handle facial injuries, which include these conditions:Teeth that have been knocked-out, Fractured Jaws (upper & lower), Fractured Facial Bones (eye socket, cheek & nose), Facial and intra-oral lacerations.
What are the Causes of Facial Trauma?
There are several causes of facial trauma, such as sports injuries, motor vehicle accidents, interpersonal violence, accidental falls, and work-related injuries. The types of facial injuries range from moderate to severe (a moderate as injuries to teeth to extremely severe injuries to skin and bones of the face). Facial injuries are categorized as soft tissue injuries (skin and gums), bone injuries (fractures), or extraordinary regions (such as facial nerves, eyes or the salivary glands).
How are Facial Injuries Treated?
Soft Tissue Injuries:
Soft tissue injuries are repaired by suturing. We take special care to ensure the best cosmetic results and that your facial nerves, salivary glands, and salivary ducts are intact and functioning properly.
Bone Injuries:
Fractures to the bones in your face are treated similarly to fractures in other parts of your body. The form of treatment is dependent upon the location of the fracture, how severe the fracture is, age, and your general health. A cast is often used when an arm or leg is fractured, but since a cast cannot be placed on your face, we have other methods to stabilize facial fractures.
Sometimes jaws are wired together for fractures to the upper and/or lower jaw. Other types of jaw fractures are treated by surgically placing small plates and screws at the injury site (see Figure 2). This technique is often favored because jaws do not need to be wired together and can still allow for necessary healing. This type of procedure allows patients to return to normal function quickly (see Figure 3).
We ensure your appearance will be minimally affected by accessing facial bones using the fewest incisions necessary. All necessary incisions are small and place so the resultant scar is hidden.
Teeth and Surrounding Dental Structures Injuries:
Oral surgeons commonly treat fractures in the supporting bone to the injured teeth, or replanting teeth that have been knocked out or displaced. These injuries are treated by a number of forms of splinting (bonding or wiring teeth together). If your tooth is knocked out, it should be placed in salt water or milk to keep it healthy. The tooth needs to be inserted back into the dental socket as soon as possible for the best chance of survival. You should never wipe the tooth off because there may be remnants of the ligament that held the tooth in the jaw and are vital to replanting the tooth successfully.
Dr. Hernandez is on the trauma teams of both the level I trauma hospital - Broward General Medial Center and the level II trauma hospital - North Broward Medical Center. From serving on the trauma teams, Dr. Hernandez is responsible for treating those victims of either motor vehicle crashes, assaults to include gun shot wounds, or the slip and fall accident. If a facial injury occurs, Dr. Hernandez is responsible for the care of these patients.