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Maxillofacial Trauma: How to Recover

The MaxFac Clinic

By MacFax ClinicPublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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The word maxillofacial has Latin origins, where “maxilla” refers to the jaw, and facial refers to anything to do with the facial region. Together, the meaning of the word comes to something that relates to the jaws and face of an individual.

Maxillofacial trauma is most common in individuals that have suffered physical trauma to the facial region. This includes all areas of the face and the jaw. Overcoming trauma to this region often takes different prognoses, wherein the more severe cases require surgical intervention from a maxillofacial surgeon in Mumbai, or in the area where you reside.

The causes of maxillofacial trauma

Let’s dive into a more detailed list of the causes of maxillofacial trauma. Not all injuries to the face can be categorized as trauma. For example, a cut made while shaving doesn’t fall into this category. Deeper gashes caused by violent attacks can be classified as maxillofacial trauma. Facial fractures or facial trauma are terms used to describe broken bones in the face. Maxillofacial trauma is another name for facial trauma. Facial trauma includes skin wounds like burns, cuts, and bruises as well as facial bone fractures involving the upper and lower jaws, cheekbones, and nose bones.

Here are a few causes for the same:

Physical assault: there are various kinds of assault, including verbal and sexual assault. The one we’re talking about is aggravated physical assault which refers to when someone hits or beats another individual. It can cause varying levels of bruising and trauma depending on the action and it is a crime punishable by law.

Other forms of violence: includes domestic violence at home, and other forms of violence that generally take place spontaneously in institutional settings like school and workplaces, or even casual, social gatherings at times.

Sports injuries/accidents: while running on a sports field or court, there can be myriad accidents. Players can trip and fall, be fouled and fall, or simply not have adequately warmed up before starting gameplay or practice. Such incidents can lead to, once again, varying levels of maxillofacial trauma.

Road accidents: in a country like India where traffic rules are considered an inconvenience more than a necessity, road accidents are not uncommon. Two-wheeler accidents are more often the cause of extreme maxillofacial trauma than four-wheeler accidents.

Kinds of maxillofacial trauma

Based on where the fracture occurs, there are various types of facial fractures. Trauma to the face and jaws can be categorized in terms of which part and layer of the maxillofacial area have been affected.

Dental injuries: this refers to fractures to the teeth, loosened teeth (subluxation), detachment of teeth (avulsion), and so on.

Fractures: for example, the nose or jaw can suffer a fracture, as can the cheekbones.

Soft-tissue injuries: refers to cuts, bruises, lacerations, burns, or any other injuries that cause bleeding, burning and leave scars.

Dislocation of the temporomandibular joint: sounds complex, but it just is the joint that connects your jaw to the rest of your skull. It allows you to make movements in your maxilla region, such as opening and closing your mouth, speaking, etc.

Eye injuries: these are called orbital injuries and are fairly common forms of maxillofacial trauma.

Why maxillofacial surgeries & procedures are important

The first step to overcoming maxillofacial trauma is to hit up a good maxillofacial surgeon in Mumbai that knows what they’re talking about, such as those at Maxfac. Sometimes, the injury may not even require surgical intervention, but the care procedure must not be underestimated.

Some injuries can alter the way your face looks forever by creating deformities or requiring cover-up plastic surgery. Another type of trauma is more minor, where medication like ointments and antibiotics can do the trick, though these don’t always fall in the category of ‘trauma’ per se.

Why oral and maxillofacial surgeons?

The objective of treatment by a maxillofacial surgeon is to repair and restore the facial structure as naturally as possible without leaving any obvious signs of the injury. You may think that going to an eye doctor or dentist can solve the problem, but it’s important to remember that trauma is an entirely different field in medicine. Treatment options will differ based on how severe the facial injury is. Tending to trauma patients requires the skill set of being able to stay calm in high-stress situations, knowing how to provide a first response to the patient, and so on. Maxillofacial surgeons and specialists are particularly trained in all things related to the face, mouth and jaw. It’s important to get a consult from a maxillofacial surgeon, at the least, after injuries or trauma to the facial and jaw region.

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