Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons are trained, skilled and uniquely qualified to manage and treat facial trauma. Our surgeons are on staff at your local hospital and they provide emergency room coverage for facial injuries. We are extensively trained to manage all facial trauma. Lacerations or cuts are closed in cosmetic fashion to minimize any scarring. Loosened, fractured or avulsed (completely knocked out) teeth are handled in an attempt to save as many teeth as possible. Fractured or broken bones of the face are repaired either at the hospital or at the office. As Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, your surgeons have trained to repair all bones of the face. They are uniquely qualified to return your facial appearance and the function of you teeth and mouth back to its normal positions. Most surgeries can even be accomplished from within the mouth, thus minimizing any facial scarring. We employ the latest technologies to help return your face to it original condition, including open reduction with internal fixation with titanium bone plates and screws. In the pediatric population, this means using plates and screws that will resorb away soon after the fractures have healed.

Secondary repair of facial trauma victims is also an important aspect of facial trauma surgery. Many times secondary procedures will need to be completed to help minimize any scarring, disfiguring, or functional complications of the accident. Secondary rhinoplasties (nose jobs) are often completed due to breathing disturbances caused by the injury. Insurance companies may cover secondary repair surgeries. Ask your Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon about your facial injuries.

Avulsed Teeth
Avulsion of teeth (when the complete tooth is knocked out of the mouth) as a result of any injury should be cared for immediately. The tooth should be briefly rinsed in water - but never scrubbed. It ideally should be replaced into its socket immediately for the best survival rates. If you do not feel comfortable replacing the tooth into the socket, you should place the tooth under your tongue, in a cup of milk, or a commercially available solution for short term storage (Hank's Buffered Saline Solution or "Save-A-Tooth"). You should notify your dentist or Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon as soon as possible, no matter whether you replace the tooth yourself or not. Replanted teeth will need evaluation by your dentist for future treatments. Although replanted teeth have a good survival rate, not all replanted teeth survive. Time is critical, and replanting the tooth by anyone in under several hours is key to the survival of that tooth.