When you suffer from a facial injury, you are likely to develop scars if you don’t treat it appropriately, which can lower your self-confidence. Facial rehabilitation after a facial injury helps enhance your facial function and appearance and improve self-confidence.
It is advisable to visit a maxillofacial surgeon if you have a facial injury. Only they have the specialised skills and knowledge to repair fractured face bones or realign misaligned jaws.
Read the full guide to learn about the different types of facial injuries, the importance of maxillofacial surgery, the role of the surgery in improving oral health, and its psychological benefits.
Types of Facial Injuries
Let us now discuss briefly the different types of facial injuries and how maxillofacial surgeons can help with them.
Facial Fractures
Jaw Fractures:
- Fractures in the lower or upper jaw can cause serious issues with how your jaw functions.
- Maxillofacial surgeons use several methods to repair these fractures, such as using plates or wires to keep them stable during surgery.
Dental Trauma
Avulsed teeth:
- Accidents can knock your teeth out completely.
- A maxillofacial surgeon will reimplant these teeth and do everything necessary to ensure long-term health.
Fractured teeth
- Facial injuries frequently result in broken or chipped teeth.
- Your maxillofacial surgeon will recommend you to visit a dental hospital to get these damaged teeth repaired using treatments such as crowns or dental bonding. Many reputed hospitals specializing in maxillofacial surgery have multi-disciplinary teams with experienced dental surgeons to take care of dental issues.
Soft-tissue Injuries
Lacerations & Contusions
- When your face is wounded, you may have bruises and cuts on your skin.
- These surgeons are skilled at stitching these cuts and caring for wounds to ensure they heal properly without leaving scars.
Nerve Damage
- When you get hurt, your facial nerves might become damaged, making it difficult to feel or move appropriately.
- Skilled maxillofacial surgeons can perform specialised treatments to repair damaged nerves and restore normal function.
Nasal Fractures
- Your nose is one of the most fragile bones in your face.
- Maxillofacial surgeons know how to realign your nasal bones so that your nose functions appropriately.
Understanding Maxillofacial Surgery And Its Importance
Maxillofacial surgery is a specialised field that employs surgery to treat problems with your jaw, face, or mouth. Maxillofacial surgeons are highly experienced professionals who can diagnose and treat abnormalities involving the teeth, bones, and tissues in your jaw and lower face.
The importance of treating facial fractures through maxillofacial surgery:
- Facial bone fractures and injuries must be treated immediately to avoid permanent facial disfigurement and loss of mobility since the face is necessary for many fundamental tasks, such as breathing, seeing, talking, smiling, and eating.
- Only a maxillofacial surgeon can get back your pre-accident facial shape, profile and function accurately and ensure quick recovery.
Role of Dental Occlusion:
- Dental occlusion, or the alignment of teeth and their relationship to one another, guides the alignment of cracked facial bones.
- Dental occlusion acts as a lighthouse, directing the physician in properly placing the fractured facial bones.
- To treat face injuries properly, understanding dental occlusion accurately is important. Only an experienced maxillofacial surgeon has the expertise to identify an occlusion precisely using surface indicators on the teeth even in severe accident cases.
The Significance of Choosing A Maxillofacial Surgeon
When you suffer facial injuries, you must promptly visit the nearest maxillofacial surgeon for a complete evaluation. Only maxillofacial surgeons have the knowledge and skills to diagnose and treat specific facial injury issues. They surgically treat problems such as jaw cysts, tumours, and even oral cancer. These disorders can significantly impact how a person’s mouth feels and functions. Maxillofacial surgeons collaborate with other healthcare professionals to identify and treat these disorders. Their commitment to compassion and support ensures that the patients receive complete care.
Key Benefits Of Maxillofacial Surgery In Facial Injuries
Maxillofacial surgery provides both physical and psychological benefits. Following surgery, many people report improved mental health along with improvements in their dental and overall health.
Psychological Benefits:
- Improved Self-Confidence: Maxillofacial surgery fixes facial abnormalities, improves your facial profile, and increases confidence.
- Better Body Image: Improving oral health and facial features improves your perception of your own looks.
- Enhanced Well-Being: Restored functions make you feel better and lead to a more positive attitude toward life.
Life-Changing Impact:
- Overcoming Social Stigma: Surgery enables patients to cope with society’s judgments about their appearance.
- Improved Relationships: Higher self-esteem leads to healthier interactions with others.
- New Opportunities: Surgery creates new opportunities that were previously unattainable in your social and work life.
Conclusion
Don’t hesitate to seek the help of a maxillofacial surgeon for injuries and other problems related to the face, jaw, or mouth. With their specialised knowledge, they will use the best possible treatment methods to get your life back on track.
At Gnathos Facial, our expert maxillofacial surgeons use cutting-edge tools and modern techniques to treat discomfort, deformities, and functional issues in the lower face. Be it a facial injury from a road traffic accident or a simple fall in the house, our team is committed to providing the highest quality of care and guidance to patients. We provide complete examination and personalised care, ensuring minimal scarring and ensuring that your teeth alignment is not disturbed using our 10+ years of in-depth experience treating facial injuries.