Reading time: five minutes.
If you have had a serious injury to your face or jaw, you might feel unsure about what to do next. Maxillofacial trauma (injuries to the face, jaw, and surrounding areas) can be alarming, but it’s important to act fast.
At Foley & Le Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, we specialize in treating these injuries to help you heal quickly and regain full function. Let’s break down what maxillofacial trauma is, why you need immediate care, and how we can help.
Table of Contents
- What is Maxillofacial Trauma?
- Types of Maxillofacial Injuries
- Why You Need Immediate Care
- How We Treat Maxillofacial Trauma
- Why Specialized Care is Important
- What to Expect During Recovery
- Patients Testimonials
- Foley & Le Oral Surgery: Emergency Oral Surgeons in Boulder
Maxillofacial trauma, whether it’s a soft tissue injury or a complex facial fracture, requires immediate and specialized care. Seeking treatment quickly from expert surgeons ensures the best chance for full recovery and helps prevent long-term complications. If you have experienced a facial injury, don’t wait—professional care can make all the difference.
What is Maxillofacial Trauma?
Maxillofacial trauma (also called facial trauma) refers to injuries to your facial bones, soft tissues (skin, muscles, and other tissue), or facial nerves. These injuries are often caused by:
- Car accidents
- Sports injuries
- Interpersonal violence
- Bicycle accidents
- Motor vehicle accidents
These injuries can range from simple cuts to complex fractures (broken bones that require surgery). No matter the type of injury, it’s important to get treated by an emergency oral surgeon as soon as possible.
Types of Maxillofacial Injuries
There are several different kinds of maxillofacial fractures (injuries to the face and jaw). Here are the most common:
1. Soft Tissue Injuries
These affect the soft tissues (skin, muscles, and other tissue) of your face and can include:
- Cuts
- Bruises
- Scrapes
Soft tissue injuries might not seem as serious, but they can cause scarring and infections if not treated properly.
2. Bone Fractures
Bone fractures (broken bones) in the face are serious and need immediate care. Some common types include:
- Maxillary fractures (upper jaw fractures)
- Mandibular fractures (lower jaw fractures)
- Zygomatic arch fractures (cheekbone fractures)
- Frontal bone fractures (forehead fractures)
- Orbital fractures (fractures around the eye sockets)
3. Teeth Injuries
Teeth can be knocked out, chipped, or cracked during trauma. These injuries might require intermaxillary fixation (wiring the jaws together) or splinting to keep the teeth stable.
4. Complex Injuries
In more severe cases, you might suffer from multiple injuries like midfacial fractures (fractures in the middle part of the face) or craniofacial disjunction (when the facial bones are separated from the skull). These injuries require surgical intervention to fix.
| 💡 Did you know? Maxillofacial surgeons are also trained to treat complex injuries like craniofacial disjunction. That means even if your injury is severe, our team has the skills and experience to help you recover. |
Why You Need Immediate Care
When it comes to maxillofacial trauma, you don’t want to wait. If you delay treatment, you might end up with long-term problems like:
- Permanent facial deformity (changes in the way your face looks)
- Nerve damage (damage to trigeminal or cranial nerves that control feeling in your face)
- Improperly healed fractures
How We Treat Maxillofacial Trauma
We offer different treatment options depending on the type of injury:
- Surgical treatment to fix broken bones
- Care for soft tissue injuries to prevent scarring and infections
- Help with other injuries that often happen alongside facial trauma
Why Specialized Care is Important
Your face is made up of bones, teeth, soft tissues, and nerves that all need to work together. Treating facial injuries is complicated, which is why you should always choose a specialist trained in maxillofacial injuries.
Our surgeons are highly qualified and experienced. We use advanced technology to get a clear picture of your injuries and plan the best treatment. Whether you need surgery for a frontal bone fracture (forehead injury), orbital fractures (eye socket fractures), or more complex issues, we have the expertise to help you heal.
What to Expect During Recovery
Recovering from maxillofacial trauma takes time and patience. Have a look at our aftercare instructions to get an idea of what recovery looks like.
Surgical instructions for:
Patients Testimonials
“Dr. Le is an excellent oral surgeon and the staff at Foley & Le (front desk, nurse and imaging technician) are all first-rate. I was treated with kindness, care and professional expertise during every step in my oral surgery. Dr. Le even called me the evening after my surgery to see how I was doing! I can recommend Dr. Le and this practice with complete enthusiasm”
“Dr. Le and the staff were polite, friendly and very professional. Oral surgery is no picnic. The positive, efficiency and caring attitude of the staff, including Dr. Le, put me at ease and made a rather invasive procedure quite comfortable and less daunting”
“Really comfortable office and waiting area, which is nice when you’re walking in stressed about your procedure! Very friendly staff all around and they really go out of their way to be helpful, courteous and to explain anything that is needed. Dr. Foley was very patient and thorough in his explanation of the procedure and in answering my questions. He preformed the procedure quickly, which I appreciated. I would definitely recommend his practice to anybody needing oral surgery”
Foley & Le Oral Surgery: Emergency Oral Surgeons in Boulder
We are committed to providing quality care for all types of facial and dental trauma. Whether you have a simple facial fracture or a more complex injury, we have the expertise to help you heal.
If you have suffered a maxillofacial injury, don’t wait to seek treatment. Call us at (303) 444-2255 for immediate care and a personalized treatment plan. If you would like to book your appoinment in-person, visit our oral surgeons office in Boulder at 1420 28th Street Unit 100 Boulder, CO.
