Oral and maxillofacial surgeons, like Dr. Scott Warren at Brazos Oral & Facial Surgery, are experts at treating serious facial injuries like broken jaws, cuts, and facial bone fractures. Dr. Warren has years of hospital-based experience treating emergency facial injuries, and he has earned both a dental degree and a medical degree, making him highly qualified to address trauma situations. Our staff works hard to schedule emergency injury cases as soon as possible, usually the same day you call.
If you or a loved one experiences a facial or dental injury, you will likely be treated by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Most hospitals require that an oral surgeon is on call to treat facial injuries. This is because oral surgeons have a deeper understanding of the balance between the facial structures, allowing them to detect damage to surrounding facial structures such as salivary glands, nerves, and teeth.
Facial Injuries Treated by Oral Surgeons
Oral surgeons can treat a wide variety of facial injuries and conditions. Some of the most common ones include:
- Dental injuries such as broken or avulsed teeth
- Facial and intraoral cuts
- Facial fractures
- Fractures to the jaws
Having a broken or knocked-out tooth can be frightening, but an oral surgeon may be able to replace an avulsed tooth. If your tooth is knocked out, don’t panic. Apply pressure to your tooth socket using some clean gauze or a cloth to control bleeding. Pick up the tooth and do not clean off any blood or tissues attached to it (these tissues are important to help with reattachment). Place the tooth in a cup of whole milk or saliva and bring it to a dental professional right away—the sooner the tooth is treated, the better your chances of saving it.
Treating Facial Cuts
Usually, oral surgeons treat severe facial cuts using stitches (or sutures). Any serious facial cuts should be sutured by a specialist to prevent scarring and functional problems. Oral surgeons are trained in suturing techniques that reduce scarring to create the best possible cosmetic results.
Treating Facial Fracture
Most broken bones are treated in essentially the same way: the bones are secured in their proper positions until they can heal. Most of the time, casts are used to fix non-facial fractures, but different methods of stabilization must be used for facial bones. If you have a facial bone injury, you will undergo either IV sedation or general anesthesia to ensure that you are comfortable and pain-free during surgery. Oral surgeons can use tiny wires, screws, or plates to stabilize your facial bones after a fracture. Your surgeon will use techniques that produce the best cosmetic and functional results possible.
Preventing Facial and Dental Injuries
One of the best ways to prevent facial injuries is to wear the recommended protective gear for any sports, hobbies, or work-related activities. Mouth guards can dramatically reduce the possibility of receiving a dental injury. Also, don’t forget to wear seatbelts, and always wear helmets when riding a motorcycle, horse, bike, skateboard, etc. And never leave young children unattended in high places, such as on beds, raised porches, etc.
Facial Trauma Treatment in Waco, TX
Our staff at Brazos Oral & Facial Surgery will make every attempt to see facial trauma injury cases the day you call. For serious injuries, you may need to go to a hospital. Contact our office for more information about facial trauma injury treatment and prevention.