Facial Injury

Symptoms may include:

• Difficulty breathing, seeing, talking or swallowing
• Facial swelling or misshapen face
• Cut or puncture wound on your face
• Facial pain
• Bruising or discoloration behind your ears, eyes or under your tongue
• Widening of the distance between your eyes, which may indicate injury to your eye sockets
• Facial numbness or tingling
• Skin infections or rashes

When making a diagnosis, your doctor will begin by asking about your medical history, including any events that may have caused your facial injury. A thorough physical and medical examination will also be conducted, to note any injuries to your face and other parts of your body. Many people with facial injuries also suffer from additional medical problems.

A computed tomography (CT) scan of the head also may be performed to make a definite diagnosis.

Treatment for facial injuries varies, depending on the location and severity of your injury. Many people with facial injuries have additional medical problems. Your oral and maxillofacial surgeon will coordinate the care of these medical conditions with the necessary specialists.

Like broken bones in other parts of your body, broken bones in your face first must be lined up and held in place long enough to heal properly. Depending on the severity of the injury and your age, this may take six or more weeks.

Repositioning and holding your broken bones in place may be achieved by a variety of techniques. For extensive facial injuries, incisions to expose the bones and then a combination of wiring and plating techniques may be used. Fractures of the upper and lower jaw may require metal braces that are fastened to your teeth with rubber bands or wires to hold your jaws together.

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