Patients can endure facial trauma as the result of an accident, injury or other cause. Our Montreal oral and maxillofacial surgeons are here to help with effective treatment.
What is Facial Trauma?
Facial trauma can be caused by anything from accidents on the sports field to motor vehicle accidents and fights.
Our oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained to treat patients with facial trauma. Cases can range from simple to more complex, and include long-term effects of treatment on a patient's function and facial appearance.
We provide care for facial trauma at St-Jérôme Hotel-Dieu hospital, Cité de la Santé in Laval and Montreal General Hospital, and are often consulted for our knowledge of fractures, dental trauma, lacerations and more.
Dental Injury
Patients with dental injuries need immediate and effective treatment to address pain and mitigate long-term damage.
These injuries can include:
- Dental Damage
Dental damage occurs most often on the upper incisors, as these prominent teeth are most likely to receive shock on impact.
- Dental Fractures
Dental fractures may involve only a corner of the tooth or the entire crown (visible part of the tooth in the mouth). In addition, the root may also be fractured. Tooth fractures can be painful and result in tooth loss if not treated immediately after the incident.
- Gum Lesions
Gum lesions or bruises may require stitches and will typically heal within a few days, while an alveolar bone lesion can result in loose teeth or abnormal tooth position.
These lesions can be dislocations (abnormal tooth movement in its socket) or an avulsion (the tooth is completely expelled from the socket).
In some cases, it is possible to put the tooth back in place and have it heal without problems, but other cases may lead to complications which could result in the need for an extraction.
Mandibular Fracture
The mandible can become fractured in many places. Fractures may be found only on one side, or be symmetrical on the right and left side of the bone.
Generally, symptoms of a mandibular fracture include pain, swelling, difficulty opening the mouth or swallowing and abnormal occlusion (contact between the upper and lower teeth) if the broken bones have moved.
In addition, with large displacements you may experience difficulty breathing. Some aspects of a mandibular fracture will have their own peculiarities.