Broken Jaw

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Is a Broken or Dislocated Jaw?
• What Are Causes of a Broken Jaw?
• What Are Symptoms of a Broken Jaw?
• When Should You Get Medical Care?
• How Is a Broken Jaw Diagnosed?
• How Is a Broken Jaw Treated?
• What Are Treatments for a Dislocated Jaw?
• What Can You Expect for Broken Jaw Recovery?
• How Can a Broken Jaw Be Prevented?
• What’s the Outlook After a Broken Jaw?
• More

This X-ray shows a broken jaw. The dark angular line near the bottom right of the jaw is the fracture. Photo courtesy of Lisa Chan, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Arizona.

A broken jaw (or mandibular fracture) is injury to the mandible, or jawbone. It’s a common type of facial fracture; only the nose and the cheekbone are broken more often.

• The U-shaped mandible is the largest and main bone of the lower part of the face. There are two chief areas of the mandible bone: the “body” — the chin out to the jaw angle — and the rami, the two upward branches.

• The jawbone connects to the skull at the temporomandibular joints, better known as the TMJs, on either side of your head in front of your ears. Ligaments hold the bone in place, and muscles let your jaw open and close. When your jawbone comes out of its normal position in one or both of the TMJs, that’s a dislocation.

A broken jaw is the 10th-most commonly fractured bone in the human body. Fractures (breaks in the bone) are generally the result of a direct force or trauma to the jawbone. The most common causes are:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Assaults
• Sports-related injuries
• Falls
• Workplace accidents

Men are about three times more likely than women to sustain a broken jaw. Those ages 20 to 29 are the group most commonly affected.

A dislocation can also be caused by trauma to the face. But usually it happens when you open your mouth too wide, like while taking a bite of something, yawning, or during a dental procedure.

A jaw fracture happens after a trauma. If your jaw is broken:

• You’ll have jaw pain.
• You may feel that your teeth do not fit together correctly (this is called a malocclusion).
• You may be unable to open your jaw all the way or have problems speaking.
• You may notice swelling or bruising of the jaw.
• Your chin or lower lip may be numb because of damage to a nerve that runs through the mandible.
• Inside the mouth, you may see bleeding.
• Teeth may be loose or missing.
• There might also be bruising under the tongue or even a cut in the ear canal due to movement backward of the broken jawbone.

If your jaw is dislocated:

• You’ll have jaw pain.
• You may not be able to close your mouth or open it very wide.
• Your jaw may be twisted to one side
• Your bite may not line up correctly.
• You may have trouble speaking or swallowing.

If you have symptoms, you need medical attention. This kind of injury is best checked out at a hospital. Your doctor may advise you to go to an emergency department. Remember, if you are the one who is injured, you should not be driving. Have someone take you to the emergency department.

Put any broken or lost teeth in cold milk, salt water, or saliva and take them with you.

A potential but serious consequence of jaw fractures is a problem breathing due to loss of support to the tongue. Any signs of breathing problems need to be addressed immediately by calling 911.

You should also get emergency help if there’s uncontrolled bleeding, signs of shock, or if there’s the possibility of a head or spine injury.

A doctor will give you a physical exam and may order X-rays. Blood tests usually are not necessary.

• The physical examination includes a general inspection of your face for obvious deformity, bruising, or swelling. The doctor will also look at your TMJ (temporomandibular joint), and check to see if there’s nerve or vascular problems. The next step is feeling the jawbone through the skin.

• The doctor will check the movement of the mandible. Once the external exam is complete, the doctor will check inside your mouth. You’ll be asked to bite down, and your doctor will look at how your teeth align.

• The doctor will check the jawbone for stability. With the straight blade test, the doctor may place a tongue blade (tongue depressor, a flat wooden stick) between your teeth and evaluate whether you can hold the blade in place.

• The best screening film is the panoramic X-ray, completely around the jaw. This type of X-ray may not be available in smaller hospitals, so other views may be substituted. If the first X-rays don’t show anything conclusive. Your doctor may order a CT scan if they think you have a broken jaw.

If there is any question that you may have a broken jaw, you need to be checked by a doctor or a dentist specializing in oral surgery.

Self-care at home

If you think your jaw is broken, see a doctor. Apply ice to the jaw to help control the swelling on your way to be seen by the doctor. Try not to move your jaw. Wrap a bandage under your chin and over the top of your head to immobilize it if necessary. Sometimes you will need a paper cup to catch the drool or to spit blood into on the trip to the doctor or emergency department.

Medical treatment

Many people who have jaw pain will not have a jaw fracture and will be treated with pain medications and instructions to eat a soft diet and to follow up with their doctor.

• Further evaluation is required if you have a broken jaw. Many fractures of the jawbone are associated with gum problems or tissue damage and should be considered open fractures. They will be treated with antibiotics.
• You may receive a tetanus shot.
• Pain will be addressed and managed effectively.
• Many mandible fractures are stable, and the only treatment required is wiring the upper and lower teeth together. This will most commonly be performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
• More unstable fractures often require surgery. Surgical methods using plates across the fracture site may allow you to have normal motion of the mandible and to eat shortly after surgery.

Manual repositioning. Your doctor or dentist will first move your jaw back into place. They put their thumbs inside your mouth on your back bottom teeth and hold the bottom of your jaw with their fingers. Then they manipulate your jaw down and backward until it pops into place. You may need pain medicine or sedation for the procedure.

Barton bandage. They will often wrap a bandage under your jaw and around the back of your head to keep your jaw in place while it heals.

Surgery. If your jaw gets dislocated often, you might consider surgery to tighten the ligaments that support your jaw.

Many jaw fractures need surgery. Because of that, you may need to follow up with a surgeon. Take antibiotics as instructed and follow all diet recommendations.

With treatment, a broken jaw will typically heal in a month or two.

While your dislocated jaw is healing, you should try not to open your mouth very wide for several weeks.

Because the most common causes of jaw fractures are motor vehicle accidents and assaults, the best prevention is to drive carefully and avoid situations that could turn violent. You can also wear protective devices while taking part in sports.

Depending on the nature and location of the fracture, it may have to be fixed with surgery. Some fractures do not require surgery and are managed best with diet changes and pain control. Some people may need to be admitted to the hospital based on their injury.

Top Picks

Broken Jaw

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Is a Broken or Dislocated Jaw?
• What Are Causes of a Broken Jaw?
• What Are Symptoms of a Broken Jaw?
• When Should You Get Medical Care?
• How Is a Broken Jaw Diagnosed?
• How Is a Broken Jaw Treated?
• What Are Treatments for a Dislocated Jaw?
• What Can You Expect for Broken Jaw Recovery?
• How Can a Broken Jaw Be Prevented?
• What’s the Outlook After a Broken Jaw?
• More

This X-ray shows a broken jaw. The dark angular line near the bottom right of the jaw is the fracture. Photo courtesy of Lisa Chan, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Arizona.

A broken jaw (or mandibular fracture) is injury to the mandible, or jawbone. It’s a common type of facial fracture; only the nose and the cheekbone are broken more often.

• The U-shaped mandible is the largest and main bone of the lower part of the face. There are two chief areas of the mandible bone: the “body” — the chin out to the jaw angle — and the rami, the two upward branches.

• The jawbone connects to the skull at the temporomandibular joints, better known as the TMJs, on either side of your head in front of your ears. Ligaments hold the bone in place, and muscles let your jaw open and close. When your jawbone comes out of its normal position in one or both of the TMJs, that’s a dislocation.

A broken jaw is the 10th-most commonly fractured bone in the human body. Fractures (breaks in the bone) are generally the result of a direct force or trauma to the jawbone. The most common causes are:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Assaults
• Sports-related injuries
• Falls
• Workplace accidents

Men are about three times more likely than women to sustain a broken jaw. Those ages 20 to 29 are the group most commonly affected.

A dislocation can also be caused by trauma to the face. But usually it happens when you open your mouth too wide, like while taking a bite of something, yawning, or during a dental procedure.

A jaw fracture happens after a trauma. If your jaw is broken:

• You’ll have jaw pain.
• You may feel that your teeth do not fit together correctly (this is called a malocclusion).
• You may be unable to open your jaw all the way or have problems speaking.
• You may notice swelling or bruising of the jaw.
• Your chin or lower lip may be numb because of damage to a nerve that runs through the mandible.
• Inside the mouth, you may see bleeding.
• Teeth may be loose or missing.
• There might also be bruising under the tongue or even a cut in the ear canal due to movement backward of the broken jawbone.

If your jaw is dislocated:

• You’ll have jaw pain.
• You may not be able to close your mouth or open it very wide.
• Your jaw may be twisted to one side
• Your bite may not line up correctly.
• You may have trouble speaking or swallowing.

If you have symptoms, you need medical attention. This kind of injury is best checked out at a hospital. Your doctor may advise you to go to an emergency department. Remember, if you are the one who is injured, you should not be driving. Have someone take you to the emergency department.

Put any broken or lost teeth in cold milk, salt water, or saliva and take them with you.

A potential but serious consequence of jaw fractures is a problem breathing due to loss of support to the tongue. Any signs of breathing problems need to be addressed immediately by calling 911.

You should also get emergency help if there’s uncontrolled bleeding, signs of shock, or if there’s the possibility of a head or spine injury.

A doctor will give you a physical exam and may order X-rays. Blood tests usually are not necessary.

• The physical examination includes a general inspection of your face for obvious deformity, bruising, or swelling. The doctor will also look at your TMJ (temporomandibular joint), and check to see if there’s nerve or vascular problems. The next step is feeling the jawbone through the skin.

• The doctor will check the movement of the mandible. Once the external exam is complete, the doctor will check inside your mouth. You’ll be asked to bite down, and your doctor will look at how your teeth align.

• The doctor will check the jawbone for stability. With the straight blade test, the doctor may place a tongue blade (tongue depressor, a flat wooden stick) between your teeth and evaluate whether you can hold the blade in place.

• The best screening film is the panoramic X-ray, completely around the jaw. This type of X-ray may not be available in smaller hospitals, so other views may be substituted. If the first X-rays don’t show anything conclusive. Your doctor may order a CT scan if they think you have a broken jaw.

If there is any question that you may have a broken jaw, you need to be checked by a doctor or a dentist specializing in oral surgery.

Self-care at home

If you think your jaw is broken, see a doctor. Apply ice to the jaw to help control the swelling on your way to be seen by the doctor. Try not to move your jaw. Wrap a bandage under your chin and over the top of your head to immobilize it if necessary. Sometimes you will need a paper cup to catch the drool or to spit blood into on the trip to the doctor or emergency department.

Medical treatment

Many people who have jaw pain will not have a jaw fracture and will be treated with pain medications and instructions to eat a soft diet and to follow up with their doctor.

• Further evaluation is required if you have a broken jaw. Many fractures of the jawbone are associated with gum problems or tissue damage and should be considered open fractures. They will be treated with antibiotics.
• You may receive a tetanus shot.
• Pain will be addressed and managed effectively.
• Many mandible fractures are stable, and the only treatment required is wiring the upper and lower teeth together. This will most commonly be performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
• More unstable fractures often require surgery. Surgical methods using plates across the fracture site may allow you to have normal motion of the mandible and to eat shortly after surgery.

Manual repositioning. Your doctor or dentist will first move your jaw back into place. They put their thumbs inside your mouth on your back bottom teeth and hold the bottom of your jaw with their fingers. Then they manipulate your jaw down and backward until it pops into place. You may need pain medicine or sedation for the procedure.

Barton bandage. They will often wrap a bandage under your jaw and around the back of your head to keep your jaw in place while it heals.

Surgery. If your jaw gets dislocated often, you might consider surgery to tighten the ligaments that support your jaw.

Many jaw fractures need surgery. Because of that, you may need to follow up with a surgeon. Take antibiotics as instructed and follow all diet recommendations.

With treatment, a broken jaw will typically heal in a month or two.

While your dislocated jaw is healing, you should try not to open your mouth very wide for several weeks.

Because the most common causes of jaw fractures are motor vehicle accidents and assaults, the best prevention is to drive carefully and avoid situations that could turn violent. You can also wear protective devices while taking part in sports.

Depending on the nature and location of the fracture, it may have to be fixed with surgery. Some fractures do not require surgery and are managed best with diet changes and pain control. Some people may need to be admitted to the hospital based on their injury.

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What to do and how to repair broken braces?

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• Articles
• Broken brackets. What to do and how to fix?

Braces consist of locks, a power arc. Ligatures also have ligatures – elastic bands or thin wires, with which the bracket is connected to the arc. All this complex structure requires special care, and periodically also “maintenance” and repair, for which you need to be mentally prepared.

Bracket release

The locks of the system are attached to the enamel of the outer surface of the teeth using a special adhesive. The design is not intended to be worn for life, therefore the characteristics of the adhesive are selected in a certain way: so that the lock holds securely, and at the same time it can be peeled off when the time comes. There are not so many situations in which a bracket can come off spontaneously. This:

• excessive mechanical impact on the system when eating nuts, dried fruits, smoked meat, viscous products;

• physical impact: a blow to the jaw, falling prone, inaccurate use of a spoon, fork, toothbrush, etc .;

• crowding of teeth, due to which the pressure of the system is distributed rather unevenly on the braces;

• the use of instruments and devices for hygienic care of the oral cavity, not intended for cleaning braces;

• use of an unsuitable power arc;

• teeth begin to touch the details of the structure as the bite normalizes;

• low-quality glue was used or the technology for gluing braces was violated.

If the lock comes off, the easiest thing to do is to contact your doctor on the same day. It is not worth postponing the visit, since the state of the system directly determines the state of the teeth. In the place where the lock has peeled off, the pressure of the system decreases, while in others it increases. This changes the process of tooth displacement and negatively affects the condition of periodontal tissues.

If you can’t get to the clinic every day, you need to do the following:

• inspect the system and determine the breakdown;

• call your doctor and get instructions on your next steps;

• if everything happens at night or on weekends when the doctor is not available, remove the bracket from the arch or fix the lock on dental wax so that it does not damage the mucous membranes.

The detached bracket hangs on a power arc. If possible, it should be removed. If it is fixed with a rubber band, then disconnect the ligature. In self-ligating systems, it will be necessary to open the bracket clip that holds the power wire and remove the element.

All this can be done independently if the fallen off bracket is located in front. On chewing teeth, all manipulations in front of a mirror are difficult. If the lock cannot be removed, it can be glued onto a small ball of wax.

Heading to the clinic, you need to tune in to the fact that the detached lock will have to be replaced with a new one, even if the old one looks perfect and has no external defects. If you strongly insist, the doctor will install the old element in place. However, in this case, it is impossible to exclude the possibility that the lock will peel off again.

Broken arc

An extremely unpleasant situation that is unlikely to be corrected on its own. It requires an early visit to the dentist, which can disrupt many plans for the day. A broken power arc does not cause any particular discomfort to its owners. But you shouldn’t put off replacing it until later. And that’s why.

Breakage of the arc leads to the following negative consequences:

• violation of the process of orthodontic treatment;

• damage to the mucous membranes with the sharp ends of the wire;

• the risk of swallowing a piece of arc with sharp ends.

It is not difficult to prevent damage to the mucous membranes. The same dental wax will help here. But when swallowing individual fragments of the arc, you can get a whole “bouquet” of problems. The fact is that the sharp ends of a rigid wire can damage the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.

In most cases, the fragment passes through the intestines in transit and exits naturally. But in the medical literature, cases are described when pieces of wire lingered in the esophagus, puncturing its wall with one end. To avoid complications, it is recommended:

• refuse to eat before arriving at a medical institution and conducting examinations so as not to provoke intensive movement of the wire and damage to the mucosa;

• do not make active sudden movements.

At the clinic, the surgeon will schedule an x-ray. If a piece of wire is gradually moving along the digestive tract, then there is no reason for concern. If the wire is still in the esophagus at the time of the examination, it can be removed without surgery.

Unlike arc fragments, there is no need to worry about swallowed ligatures and locks. They don’t have sharp edges, so they can’t hurt.

Problems are easier to avoid

Miracles do not happen, and you cannot get complex high-tech services “cheap”.
Beware of contacting a dubious level of clinics whose specialists
use low-quality glue, violate the technique of installing braces. Also
be careful when following the recommendations of the attending physician, avoid careless,
careless handling of the structure.

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• Contraindications for orthodontic treatment
• What threatens the wrong bite and its violation?
• Surgical correction of the bite
• Orthodontic pacifier
• Plates for straightening teeth
• Lingual braces

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what to do if something happened to them. Help without a dentist

Anything can happen in life, and it is very unpleasant when this very “everything” overtakes you directly on a trip / at work / on vacation. Now we will try to tell you what to do in emergency situations with braces, if it is not possible to get to the doctor.

Read also: Most frequently asked questions about braces

The bracket came off

The bracket can come off for various reasons (during eating, brushing, temperature contrast, etc.), but this may affect further treatment in different ways.

If the bracket has become unstuck on the front teeth, this requires a faster solution. The first thing to do is to try to open the lock of the bracket (if the brackets are self-ligating) or remove the ligature (if the brackets are ligature) and remove it from the arch. Then wrap in a napkin / hide in a bag and bring with you to the next visit. Within 3-5 days to come to the clinic to your doctor. Or look for a doctor at the place of stay so that he glues this bracket.

But in this situation there is one difficult moment – not every orthodontist will want to take responsibility for the treatment of a patient from another doctor. Therefore, you can ask your doctor for a letter with the stamp of the clinic, where he will indicate that he has no complaints about this request. The letter can be written in two languages ​​- Russian and English.

If the bracket is peeled off on the back teeth, then you have about 2 weeks, during which you need to drive to your doctor, or follow the instructions above.

What not to do if the bracket comes off:

1. Glue it yourself with ordinary adhesive
2. Throw it away (if it was possible to remove it)
3. Don’t panic! The maximum that can happen is that the treatment will last a couple of days longer.

Archwire piercing

Usually this happens more often during treatment on a self-ligating system, however, it also happens with ligature systems.
In this case, proceed as follows:
Option one – with the help of tweezers, grab the arc and carefully move it in the opposite direction from the piercing edge.
Option two – put a cotton swab under the edge of the arch, take nail scissors (after sterilizing them!) And bite off the edge of the arch. A tampon is necessary so that the edge of the arc does not fly off into the oral cavity.
The third option is to contact the clinic and we will schedule your next visit to file the edge of the piercing archwire.
More details in this video:

Braces rub a lot

The process of getting used to braces by the mucous membrane is normal, and at first it can cause some discomfort. That is why, after installing the bracket system, you are given a special box with special wax.
We note right away that the wax is environmentally friendly and will not harm your health even if swallowed.
Follow these recommendations:

Bracket lock open

Applies to self-ligating systems only. It happens that the bracket does not come off, but the patient feels that the arc in a certain place does not adhere well to the tooth. Most likely, this means the opening of the bracket lock. It can also be easily fixed at home.
You can take a toothpick/tweezers, etc. and lower the groove down. More about this on the video:

Teeth hurt very badly

Unfortunately, this happens in some patients due to different pain thresholds. This usually lasts from 1 to 5 days after the installation of braces or replacement of wires.
If you have severe pain, you will be helped by the usual painkiller, which must be taken in limited doses according to the instructions.
If after a week the pain has not stopped, contact the clinic and see your orthodontist – perhaps some tooth has become inflamed and requires immediate intervention by a specialist.

End of intermaxillary elastics

Intermaxillary elastics are usually issued by the doctor in the amount of 100 pcs. They perform their rather important role in orthodontic treatment – they contribute to the correct closing of the jaws, correct the position of the jaw, etc.

But sometimes they can end unexpectedly. And here there are several options:

1. Buy exactly the same elastics yourself by searching for them on the Internet.

2. Call the clinic and ask them to prepare another bag of elastics for you. Administrators will give you them as soon as you arrive at the dentistry.