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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Fractures of the Jaw and Midface – Injuries and Poisoning

By

Sam P. Most

, MD, Stanford University Medical Center

Reviewed/Revised Dec 2021 | Modified Sep 2022

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Topic Resources

Injuries to the face often occur in combination. For example, the eye and the nose or the mouth and the cheek can be damaged as a result of the same injury.

• A broken lower jaw usually causes pain and swelling, changes the way the teeth fit together, and prevents the person from fully opening the mouth.

• Fractures of the middle part of the face can cause swelling, double vision, facial numbness, a sunken eyeball, changes in the way the teeth fit together, and/or inability to fully open the mouth.

• Doctors can usually detect jaw and face fractures during an examination, but usually x-rays Plain X-Rays X-rays are high-energy radiation waves that can penetrate most substances (to varying degrees). In very low doses, x-rays are used to produce images that help doctors diagnose disease. In high… read more are taken or computed tomography Computed Tomography (CT) In computed tomography (CT), which used to be called computed axial tomography (CAT), an x-ray source and x-ray detector rotate around a person. In modern scanners, the x-ray detector usually… read more is done.

• A lower jaw fracture is treated by resting the jaw, surgery, or wiring the jaw closed until bones heal.

• A midface fracture can be treated surgically, but surgery usually is done only if the fracture causes problems other than pain and swelling, such as facial deformity.

The term jaw fracture often refers to a break of the lower jaw (mandible). Fractures of the upper jaw (part of the bone called the maxilla) are sometimes called jaw fractures but are usually considered facial fractures.

The mandible is most often broken as a result of blunt trauma, such as being punched or hit with a baseball bat or other object.

Fractures of the maxilla can occur when the front of the face smashes against an immovable object, as occurs in a fall from a height or a motor vehicle crash. Some are caused by being hit by a blunt object such as a fist or weapon. Some jaw fractures break only a tooth socket.

Fractures of the Midface

A fractured mandible usually causes pain and swelling of the jaw, and people often feel that their teeth do not fit together as they should. Often, the mouth cannot be opened wide, or it shifts to one side when opening or closing.

Fractures of the maxilla often cause swelling and deformity of the face. Swelling rarely becomes severe enough to block the airway and interfere with breathing. However, any injury forceful enough to fracture the maxilla may also injure the spine in the neck (see page Brain, Spinal Cord, and Nerve Disorders/Spinal Cord Disorders/Injuries o… Injuries of the Spinal Cord and Vertebrae Most spinal cord injuries result from motor vehicle crashes, falls, assaults, and sports injuries. Symptoms, such as loss of sensation, loss of muscle strength, and loss of bowel, bladder, and… read more ) or cause a brain injury Head Injuries .

Other symptoms depend on where the fracture is located.

Fractures of the bones of the floor of the eye socket may cause double vision (because the muscles of the eye attach nearby), numbness in the skin below the eye (because of injuries to nerves), or a sunken eyeball.

Fractures of the cheekbone (zygomatic arch) can cause inability to fully open the jaw, a change in the way the teeth fit together, and an irregularity in the cheekbone that can be felt when running a finger along it.

Other fractures of the maxilla that extend down into the jaw can cause inability to fully open the jaw and a change in the way the teeth fit together.

Fractures that extend through a tooth or its socket create an opening into the mouth that can allow bacteria in the mouth to infect the mandible or maxilla.

A doctor’s examination can usually determine if the jaw is broken. Usually x-rays Plain X-Rays X-rays are high-energy radiation waves that can penetrate most substances (to varying degrees). In very low doses, x-rays are used to produce images that help doctors diagnose disease. In high… read more are taken to diagnose fractures of the mandible or only a tooth socket. Computed tomography Computed Tomography (CT) In computed tomography (CT), which used to be called computed axial tomography (CAT), an x-ray source and x-ray detector rotate around a person. In modern scanners, the x-ray detector usually… read more (CT) is done to diagnose fractures of the maxilla. Neck x-rays are often taken to rule out spinal damage. If a person has symptoms of brain injury, CT of the brain is done. If the person has vision problems or an injury near the eye, an eye examination The Eye Examination A person who has eye symptoms should be checked by a doctor. However, some eye disorders cause few or no symptoms in their early stages, so the eyes should be checked regularly (every 1 to 2… read more is done.

If people suspect their jaw is fractured, they should go to the emergency department immediately.

If swelling or bleeding begins to close the breathing passages, doctors may need to insert a tube (endotracheal tube) to help the person breathe.

Treatment of mandible fractures involves resting the jaw so that the bone can heal. Mild fractures may require only that the person not chew, so doctors prescribe a liquid or soft-food diet. More severe fractures (such as those with breaks in more than one place or those in which the ends of the bone are separated, called a displaced fracture) require that the jaw be repaired.

Doctors may screw metal plates into the bone on each side of the fracture, or they may wire the person’s upper and lower jaws together for several weeks. If the jaw is wired shut, the person is only able to drink liquids through a straw. Because only part of the tooth surface can be brushed while the jaw is wired shut, doctors prescribe a mouth rinse to be used twice daily. After several weeks of being wired shut, the jaw usually needs to be strengthened with exercises.

In children, some mandible fractures near the ear are not immobilized. Instead, mild restriction of jaw motion with a device for 5 to 10 days is enough.

Did You Know…

Maxillary fractures are treated with surgery if they cause problems such as vision symptoms, a change in the way the teeth fit together, limitation of jaw opening, a sunken eyeball, facial numbness, or an unacceptable change in appearance. Doctors often wait a few days after the injury (when swelling subsides) to decide whether surgery is needed. Surgery typically involves fixation with screws and plates. After surgery, the jaws may need to be immobilized but often for only a few days, after which people should eat only soft foods for several weeks.

Any fracture of a tooth socket is treated with antibiotics.

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Broken Jaw Treatment – Hospitadent

Jaw fractures due to falls, traffic accidents or industrial accidents are health problems that have a negative impact on people’s lives and require urgent treatment. Patients who come to the Dental Group Hospitadent departments with complaints of a jaw fracture are primarily treated to meet their daily needs, such as food, drink and speaking. Symptoms of a broken jaw may include pain, swelling, difficulty chewing, and bleeding in the mouth. If jaw fractures, which vary by region, occur in the upper jaw, swelling may also appear on the face.

What materials are used in the treatment of jaw fractures?
In cases of non-surgical fractures of the jaw, treatment with titanium plates or screws can be applied to the area of ​​the fracture accessible through an incision made through the mouth. In addition, fusible plates and screws can be preferred, which are among the possibilities offered by modern medicine. Stabilization of the jaw can be achieved with a wire placed over the teeth and jaw. Bone taken from the patient’s body or prepared bone powder can help replace missing bone. It should not be forgotten that a detailed treatment process is required in cases of multifragmentary fractures or in adverse cases such as malunion.

How long does a chin treatment take?
A jaw fracture takes about 4 weeks to heal. Although the healing process varies depending on the size of the fracture and the damage it causes, it can take up to 8 weeks. The first treatment of the patient after the examination begins with anesthesia. Thus, the patient does not experience pain. If the patient’s teeth do not converge, the necessary treatment is applied first. The patient under anesthesia is treated without any pain. Depending on the condition of the damage, bones are inserted first in the jaw. If there is bone loss, this problem is solved by adding metal parts or bone as part of this treatment. The jaw is connected with a wire.

Things to consider in case of jaw fractures
In cases where surgery is performed, the patient may continue to be treated with antibiotics on the recommendation of a specialist doctor. If the patient does not stop taking the drug during the use of the antibiotic, this ensures a healthy treatment process. Applying ice to the fracture area in the first 48 hours after surgery is one of the applications that will alleviate the patient’s condition. After 48 hours it is recommended to continue hot applications. The food taken by the patient during this period should be in liquid form. After the examination in the hospital setting and subsequent treatment, the patient must pay more attention to oral care than ever before.

Is aesthetic intervention necessary for jaw fractures?
A jaw fracture may require different interventions depending on the extent of the damage. In cases of tooth loss, stitches may sometimes be needed to replace missing teeth or skin damage. In some cases, an aesthetic application may be required to avoid scarring of the patient’s face. You can solve the problem under the guidance of a specialist doctor. On the other hand, an absorbable suture may also be preferred. Using advanced technological devices and materials, Dental Group Hospitadent specialists, who apply the treatments required by patients, can follow the process and monitor the patient with intermediate visits when necessary for the comfort of their patients.

How to take care of the oral cavity in case of jaw fractures?
In addition to brushing your teeth, mouthwash is also recommended. In order to avoid possible infection, the patient’s consideration of all the precautions of the specialist physician contributes to the completion of this process in a healthy way. In cases of abnormal swelling found in the area of ​​the fracture after the first 7 days, a doctor should be consulted. In case of possible bleeding, it is recommended to consult a doctor without panicking and without moving the fracture area. During the treatment, the patient does not move the jaw fracture area and follows the recommendations prescribed by the specialist doctor, which speeds up the treatment process.

Jaw fracture treatment cost of surgery at El.En clinic.

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