Soft tissue injuries can occur to both your face as well as inside your mouth (tongue, cheeks, gums). They include injuries such as lacerations, burns, and other contusions.

Seeking treatment for soft tissue injuries right away is extremely important. Not only does a prompt repair of these types of injuries help to provide an excellent cosmetic fix, but it is also essential for restoring, and maintaining, proper function of facial nerves, salivary glands, and salivary ducts.

When soft tissue injuries like lacerations occur on the face, they are repaired by suturing. In addition to providing a repair that will yield the best cosmetic result possible, care is also taken to inspect and treat injuries to structures such as facial nerves, salivary glands, and salivary ducts (or outflow channels).

When you have broken facial bones or a fractured jaw, the bones need to be set. However, unlike other bones in your body, your facial bones cannot be placed in a cast. Instead, we use other methods to stabilize your facial bones. After your exam, we will be able to determine what method of treatment is best for you.

One way in which we stabilize facial bones is through the use of wires. Commonly used for a fractured jaw, your mouth is wired shut, which helps to promote healing. After a predetermined amount of time, we remove the wiring and check the stability of your jaw. If it is strong enough, you will move on to rehabilitation. If not, we replace the wiring and check again later. While this treatment is effective, it does render your jaw immobile, making eating very difficult.

The other way in which we stabilize facial bones is through the use of plates and screws, or “rigid fixation.” This method of treatment avoids wiring your jaw closed, providing you with the ability to use it while you heal. This type of treatment can also reduce recovery time, having you back to your normal daily activities sooner. In some cases, the plate and screws are left in place after you have fully healed.

The treatment of facial fractures should be accomplished in a thorough and predictable manner that minimally affects the patient’s facial appearance. An attempt at accessing the facial bones through the fewest incisions necessary is always made. 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.

Tooth injuries are extremely common with facial trauma.

Teeth may be fractured, and the supporting bone damaged. Teeth may be partially displaced or knocked out completely.

At BC Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, we can repair damaged bone, reset displaced teeth, and replant the ones that have been completely knocked out. The teeth are stabilized in a variety of ways, including splits, wiring, or bonding teeth together.

Oral surgeons are usually involved in treating fractures in the supporting bone or in replanting teeth that have been displaced or knocked out.

If a tooth is knocked out:

• Place the tooth in salt water or milk.
• 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.
• The sooner the tooth is re-inserted into the dental socket, the better chance it will survive so the patient should see an Oral surgeon as soon as possible.