Broken Jaw

A broken jaw is a severe injury or type of dental emergency, medically called a mandibular fracture. This medical emergency severely affects your ability to eat, talk, and even breathe. A broken jaw is one of the most frequent facial fractures caused by direct facial trauma and requires professional assessment to avoid serious and long-term consequences. In case you are in Agoura Hills and have suffered facial trauma, at Agoura Hills Advanced Dentistry, we will prioritize your care. Call our office immediately to get a thorough emergency examination.

Broken Jaw Symptoms

The symptoms of a fractured jaw are usually instant and difficult to overlook, as they manifest immediately after an injury. In case you have suffered a blow to the face, a fall, or an accident, you should know about these life-threatening symptoms.

• Severe Pain in the Jaw: It is the most widespread and acute symptom. The pain is usually intense and worsens when you attempt to move your jaw, whether to speak or chew.
• Bite and Alignment Problems (Malocclusion): One of the most common symptoms of a mandibular fracture is the sensation that your teeth no longer fit in place. Attempting to close your mouth can feel wrong, lopsided, or out of alignment. This is referred to as malocclusion.
• Restricted Jaw Movement: You might be unable to open or close your mouth wide. You may also have your jaw move or turn to one side when you open it. This restriction is a good sign of a structural issue.
• Swelling, Bruising, or Lumps: There is a lot of swelling and bruising along the jawline, on the cheek, or under the tongue, which is very common. You can also experience a lump or an abnormal shape on the jawbone where the fracture occurs.
• Bleeding in the Mouth: The jagged end of a broken bone can easily cut through the tender tissues of the gums and the lining of the mouth and make it bleed. It indicates an open fracture, which is more prone to infection.
• Broken, Loose, or Missing Teeth: The force that fractures your jaw can chip, loosen, or even knock out teeth. Facial trauma should be a cause of concern to you, especially when there is dental damage.
• Chin or Lower Lip Numbness: The primary nerve that gives feeling to your lower lip and chin passes through a hole in the jawbone. This nerve may be bruised, pinched, or even cut in a fracture, and the result is a peculiar sensation of numbness, or pins and needles, in the part affected.
• Ear Pain or Cuts in the Ear Canal: When the fracture is close to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the pieces of the broken bones can move backward and cause pain to the ear or even tear the sensitive skin of the ear canal.
• Difficulty Breathing: This is the most severe symptom. If you experience it, an emergency 911 call is needed. In extreme situations, the swelling or displacement of the jaw and tongue may block your airway. Difficulty breathing following a facial injury is a medical emergency.

Common Causes of Broken Jaws

A direct and considerable impact to the face or lower jaw nearly always causes a fractured jaw. The mandible is a robust bone; however, it is not invulnerable. This can be prevented and diagnosed by understanding the common causes.

• Interpersonal Violence (Assaults): As many studies show, the most common cause of a broken jaw is to be punched or hit in the face. A direct strike with a fist can easily produce the force required to break the mandible.
• Motor Vehicle Accidents: The significant impact of car, motorcycle, or bicycle accidents is a common cause of severe facial fractures, such as broken jaws. A collision with a steering wheel, dashboard, or the ground can be fatal.
• Accidental Falls: Even a simple slip and fall may result in a broken jaw, particularly when you fall on your chin or the side of your face. It is a typical cause of household and workplace accidents.
• Contact Sports Injuries: Facial trauma is likely in sports such as football, boxing, hockey, wrestling, and rugby. A hard tackle can easily cause a fracture, a collision with another player, or a collision with equipment.
• Workplace Accidents: A fractured jaw can also be caused by falling off a ladder, being hit by an object, or an accident involving machinery.

Studies indicate that men are nearly three times more prone to broken jaws than women, and the age group that is most likely to be affected by this is young adults between 20 and 29 years.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Broken Jaw

Due to the risk of severe complications, a diagnosis and treatment should be performed by medical and dental specialists. Emergency evaluation is always the first step. The diagnosis process will be fast and orderly once you reach any emergency room or dental clinic.

Physical Examination

The procedure will start with a doctor or oral surgeon asking how the injury happened and then conducting a careful physical examination. They will seek the visible symptoms: swelling, bruising, and deformities.

They will touch the skin with the jawbone to identify any instability or irregularities. They will also examine the performance of your facial nerves and the bite. A single test, called the tongue blade test, puts a flat wooden stick between your teeth and tells you to hold it there. The inability to do so may indicate a fracture.

Imaging Tests

It cannot be done only through physical examination. Imaging is necessary to verify the diagnosis and identify the exact location and degree of the break. The most appropriate screening tool is a panoramic X-ray that fully pictures the lower jaw.

A Computed Tomography (CT) scan will be ordered in more complicated cases or when other injuries to the face are suspected. A CT scan offers very detailed, cross-sectional images of the bones and is considered the gold standard in the assessment of facial trauma.

Your dentist will examine these images to determine the exact site and type of fracture because various parts of the mandible fracture in a specific manner. The typical locations of fractures are:

• The joint part is called the condyle.
• The angle (the corner of the jaw under the molars)
• The body (on the central horizontal part)
• The symphysis (the front of the chin)

It is essential to know the precise site because the condylar fracture may have long-term implications on the joint functionality, whereas the body fracture may be more dangerous to the dental nerve.

The Treatment Plan for Mild to Severe Fractures 

The management of a fractured jaw is purely based on the level of the fracture and its stability. The main objectives are always to reposition the broken bone parts, establish a normal bite, and fix the jaw to heal in the correct position.

• Mild (Stable) Fractures

If the break is a clean, simple crack and the pieces of the bone have not moved out of position, surgery might not be required. The treatment in such cases is conservative. It usually includes pain medication, antibiotics to prevent infection, and a liquid or soft-food diet for four to six weeks. This gives the jaw a chance to relax and heal, just as a cast is put on a broken arm.

• Severe (Unstable) Fractures

When the bone is fractured in more than one area, when the pieces are out of place, or when the fracture is open (the bone breaks through the skin or gums), surgery is nearly always necessary. An oral and maxillofacial surgeon will do the procedure. Surgical approaches are of two types:

• Jaw Wiring (Maxillomandibular Fixation – MMF)

This is the conventional way. The surgeon fixes metal bars to the upper and lower teeth, and wires or strong elastics are used to keep the jaws closed. This makes your teeth a natural cast and fixes the fracture site in its place. The wires are usually left in the position for about six to eight weeks.

• Plates and Screws (Open Reduction and Internal Fixation – ORIF)

It is a more recent and commonly desired surgical procedure. The surgeon cuts through the skin (typically in the mouth so that the scar is not visible) to get direct access to the broken bone. They then accurately realign the fractured pieces (open reduction) and fix them with small titanium plates and screws (internal fixation).

The key benefit of this technique is that it frequently avoids the necessity to wire the jaw closed and permits a significantly more rapid restoration of smooth jaw motion and a less painful recuperation.

Antibiotics play a vital role in surgical and non-surgical cases in preventing the bone from being infected, which is a serious complication.

Living with and Recovering from a Broken Jaw

The healing process of a broken jaw takes time and a lot of discipline in following what your surgeon advises. It is a long process, and it usually takes at least six to eight weeks before the first bone heals, with the healing process taking several months.

Diet and Nutrition

This is among the most significant problems in recovery. You will be on a liquid diet when your jaw is wired up. In case you were operated on with ORIF, you will be on a soft-food diet. Chewing should also be avoided so as not to disrupt the healing bone.

• Liquid Diet

You will require a fine blender. Your staples will be soups, smoothies, protein shakes, and blended meals. Calories and nutrients may be hard to obtain, and your surgeon might suggest you visit a nutritionist to develop a healthy diet. You will be required to eat with straw or a syringe.

• Soft-Food Diet

When your surgeon gives you the go-ahead, you may consume foods that do not require chewing. This involves yogurt, pudding, applesauce, mashed potatoes, well-cooked pasta, scrambled eggs, and refried beans.

More than mere survival, good nutrition at this stage is essential healing fuel. Your body is already overworking to heal bone, which needs a lot of protein, calcium, vitamins, and calories. 

Managing Pain and Swelling

After the injury and any surgery, pain and swelling are inevitable. Dentists recommend that you use the following for pain relief:

• Pain Medication: Your physician will prescribe analgesics. They should be used as specified.
• Ice Packs: It is important to use ice packs on the exterior of your jaw in 15-20 minute intervals within the first 48 hours to decrease the swelling and numb the pain.

Maintaining Oral Hygiene

It is paramount to keep your mouth clean to avoid infection, but it will be difficult. You cannot brush your teeth as usual when your jaw is wired together. Your surgeon will probably prescribe a special antiseptic mouth rinse, which you should use several times daily to kill the bacteria and make your mouth as clean as possible.

If your jaw is not wired, clean your teeth with a soft child-sized toothbrush, and be careful not to brush the surgical areas.

At-Home Care and Safety

Below are practical at-home care and safety tips:

Safety Using Wires

If you are wired, your surgeon will provide you with a pair of wire cutters and teach you how to use them. These you should have with you everywhere. This is a crucial precautionary step in case you begin to vomit or choke and have to open your mouth.

Saving Your Jaw 

Healing can be interrupted by sudden, wide-mouth movements. Whenever you feel like yawning or sneezing, you are supposed to hold your fist under your chin to support it.

Sleeping Position

Sleeping on your back with your head supported on some pillows is the best way to sleep. This will minimize swelling, and you will not strain your healing jaw accidentally.

When to Call Your Doctor

Even though pain, swelling, and restricted movement are normal following a fracture of the jaw, certain symptoms indicate complications that need urgent medical care. Warning signs should not be overlooked, particularly during the first weeks of the healing process, as unaddressed complications may cause severe relapse or even life-threatening infections.

Call your surgeon or go to the dentist right away when you experience any of the following:

• Increasing rather than decreasing pain. When your pain worsens with time instead of fading away, it can be a sign of infection, poor bone healing, or nerve involvement.
• Fever, chills, or drainage at the surgical site. These are typical indicators of infection. Any drainage that resembles pus, bad odor, or warm redness around the jaw should be assessed immediately.
• Constant nausea or vomiting. This can be a side effect of pain medication, but it can also be a sign of something more serious, particularly in the case of you being wired shut and not able to clear your airway effectively.
• Any trouble breathing or shortness of breath. This is an emergency. Your airway can be blocked by swelling, internal bleeding, or jaw displacement. Dial 911 or visit the ER immediately.

Prevention of Jaw Injuries

You cannot avoid all accidents, but you can do some simple things to decrease your chances of a broken jaw. These include:

• Wear a seatbelt at all times in a motor vehicle. Wearing seatbelts drastically reduces the chances of hitting the dashboard, steering wheel, or window in case of a crash.
• Wear a full-face helmet when on a motorcycle, scooter, or ATV. Helmets with jaw protection can reduce the force of impact in the case of an accident and are a must-have among people who travel at high speeds or off-road.
• When involved in contact sports, wear protective headgear and a well-fitted mouth guard
• Avoid fights and circumstances that might result in violence

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How does a fractured jaw compare with a dislocated jaw?

A fractured jaw is a broken jaw, that is, a physical break in the bone itself. A dislocated jaw is a condition in which the lower jawbone moves out of its usual position in either of the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) located close to your ears. Although both are painful and need medical care, they are not the same injuries, and they have different treatments.

What are the possible complications of an untreated broken jaw?

A broken jaw is a serious and even irreversible issue when ignored. These are chronic bone infection (osteomyelitis), irreversible jaw and teeth misalignment that causes bite issues and TMJ dysfunction, chronic pain, and nerve damage. In rare and extreme cases, airway obstruction may be lethal.

Do I get scars after jaw surgery?

In most instances, no. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are adept at doing these procedures internally through the mouth. They can reach the jawbone by cutting the gums and do not leave any scars on the face.

Find an Experienced Emergency Dentist Near Me

A broken jaw is a serious injury, but given the current medical and dental technology, the prognosis of a complete and functional recovery is feasible. The most crucial thing in your healing process is to act now. Do not even think of trying to “tough it out” because postponing treatment may cause severe complications that impact your health, functioning, and appearance.

You should consult a professional assessment by a dental specialist as soon as possible. You can also visit the closest hospital emergency room or immediately call an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Our Agoura Hills Advanced Dentistry staff is prepared to offer high-level emergency care to patients within the Agoura Hills community.

If you have experienced a broken or fractured jaw, call us immediately at 818-878-7300 to assess your condition and offer the most suitable treatment.