Facial Trauma In Katy, TX | The Center For Oral & Facial Surgery

What Is Facial Trauma Surgery?

Facial trauma surgery treats injuries to the bones, teeth, and soft tissues of the face. This includes facial fracture repair, broken jaw treatment, and care for serious dental injuries. An emergency oral surgeon evaluates both visible damage and underlying structural issues before recommending a course of treatment.

Specialized care for facial injuries

Facial trauma often involves several areas at once, such as the jaw, cheeks, nose, or eye sockets. Treatment may include stabilizing fractures, repairing soft tissue, or repositioning bone segments. Care is planned to support healing while protecting facial movement and bite alignment.

Understanding your injury: soft tissue vs. bone

Soft tissue injuries involve the skin, gums, lips, and facial muscles. Facial fractures affect the jaw, cheekbones, or other facial bones and may change how your teeth fit together. Distinguishing between these injuries helps guide the right facial fracture repair approach.

Knocked-out or dislodged teeth

If a tooth is knocked out, keep it moist in milk or saliva and avoid touching the root. Call immediately for guidance, as fast action may improve the chance of saving the tooth.

The nature of maxillofacial trauma

There are several possible causes of facial trauma, such as motor vehicle accidents, accidental falls, sports injuries, 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). When soft-tissue injuries, such as lacerations, occur on the face, they are repaired with sutures. In addition to the obvious concern of providing a repair that yields the best possible cosmetic result, care is taken to inspect for and treat injuries to structures such as facial nerves, salivary glands, and salivary ducts (or outflow channels). Our surgeons are well-trained oral and maxillofacial surgeons proficient at diagnosing and treating all types of facial lacerations. Fractures of the bones of the face are treated like fractures in other parts of the body. The specific treatment is determined by factors such as fracture location, severity, age, and overall health. When an arm or leg is fractured, a cast is often applied to stabilize the bone and promote proper healing. Because a cast cannot be applied to the face, alternative methods have been developed to stabilize facial fractures. One option is to wire 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 treatment technique can often promote healing and remove the need for wired jaws. This technique is called "rigid fixation" of a fracture. The relatively recent adoption and use of rigid fixation have significantly shortened the recovery period for many patients, enabling them to return to normal function more quickly. The treatment of facial fractures should be accomplished thoroughly and predictably. More importantly, the patient's facial appearance should be minimally affected. An attempt is made to access the facial bones with the fewest necessary incisions. 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. Isolated tooth injuries are quite common and may require the expertise of various dental specialists. Oral surgeons are usually involved in treating fractures in the supporting bone or in replanting teeth that have been displaced or knocked out. These injuries are treated with one of several splinting methods (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 the 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, such as endodontists, may be asked to perform root canal therapy, and/or restorative dentists who may need to repair or rebuild fractured teeth. When injured teeth cannot be saved or repaired, dental implants are often used to replace missing teeth. The proper treatment of facial injuries is now the domain of specialists who are well-versed in emergency care, acute treatment, long-term reconstruction, and patient rehabilitation. Please call us at 281-392-1130, and we will ensure prompt and exceptional care.

Who Needs Facial Trauma Surgery?

You may need facial trauma surgery after accidents, sports injuries, falls, or assaults. Signs include facial swelling, pain when biting, loose teeth, numbness, or visible changes in facial shape. A facial trauma surgeon can determine whether surgery or close monitoring is needed.