Although the plates and screws hold your jaw in place it still takes
about six weeks
for your jaw to heal completely. During this time you need to eat soft food only. Your surgeon will give you advice on this. You must be careful to avoid another injury as it may push your jaw out of position again.
How is a maxillary fracture treated?
Maxillary fractures are treated by
reduc- tion and immobilization
. Establishment of preinjury occlusion and midface buttress alignment provides the foundation for this treatment. The goals of treatment of LeFort fractures are to reestablish preinjury occlusion with normal height and projection of the face.
Can maxilla fracture heal on its own?
A maxilla surgery may be done if your maxilla or the surrounding bones are fractured, broken, or injured in some way.
Your doctor may recommend alternatives if the fracture isn’t serious enough to require surgery and will heal on its own
.
How long does it take to heal a fractured cheekbone?
Even if a fracture is held in place with plates and screws it still takes
approximately six weeks
for your cheekbone to heal completely. During this recovery period, you will need to be careful to avoid an injury to this area of your face, as it may cause the cheekbone to move out of position.
Can a fractured cheekbone heal on its own?
The discomfort is usually worse for the first few days although it may take a couple of weeks to completely disappear.
Cheekbone fractures usually heal without infection
but it may be necessary to give you antibiotics, particularly if a “graft” has been used.
What happens if the zygomatic bone is damaged?
Patients may develop trismus (i.e. the inability to fully open the mouth)
and have difficulty with chewing
. There may also be bleeding through the nose, which depends on the severity of the injury. The cheekbone of these patients may be flattened due to the malar eminence being depressed.
What does a fractured jaw bone feel like?
Symptoms of a broken jaw include:
Pain in the face or jaw
, located in front of the ear or on the affected side, that gets worse with movement. Bruising and swelling of the face, bleeding from the mouth. Difficulty chewing.
Can you fly with a fractured eye socket?
During this time you should avoid sneezing or blowing your nose and
should not fly in an airplane or go deep-sea diving
. These activities may allow air to enter the orbit, causing further discomfort and damage. Your surgeon will usually determine whether an operation is needed within two weeks after injury.
How do I know if I broke my cheekbone?
- Pain, tenderness, and swelling.
- A flat appearance to the face.
- Vision problems.
- Blood in the side of the eye (on the affected side)
- Jaw pain, specifically when jaw is moved.
- Numbness under the eye of the injured side.
What do doctors do for a fractured jaw?
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.
How serious is a fractured cheekbone?
Is a facial fracture a serious problem? If you suffer from a facial injury, you
should seek immediate medical attention
. Some fractures are minor. However, complex fractures may cause irreversible damage and can even be life-threatening.
How do you sleep with a broken cheekbone?
You should be very careful as to not apply any pressure or avoid injury to the side of the face during this recovery period. Try to avoid blowing your nose until the cheekbone has healed and
lie on your back when sleeping if possible
.
Do all cheekbone fractures need surgery?
Once it has determined the cheekbone is broken the surgeon will decide if surgery is needed. Sometimes depending on the situation, such as if the cheekbone fracture is stable,
no surgery is recommended
. But, it will be advised if it affects the daily function of the patient or causes a cosmetic defect.
What happens if a fracture is left untreated?
When a bone fracture is untreated, it can
result in either a nonunion or a delayed union
. In the former case, the bone doesn’t heal at all, which means that it will remain broken. As a result, swelling, tenderness, and pain will continue to worsen over time.
How do I know if my eyebrow bone is broken?
- double vision or reduced vision.
- swelling of the eyelid.
- pain, bruising, tearing, or bleeding around the eye.
- nausea and vomiting (most common in trapdoor fractures)
- sunken or bulging eye, or droopy eyelid.
- inability to move your eye in some directions.
How long does a zygomatic fracture take to heal?
Cheekbone fractures rarely get infected, so you will not usually need antibiotics. Swelling and bruising can be reduced by using cold packs and sleeping propped up for the first few days. Even if you have plates and screws to hold your cheekbone in place, it still takes
about six weeks
for the bone to heal completely.
