About this topic
A jaw fracture can be either a break in the upper or lower jawbone. The upper jawbone is called the maxilla. The lower jawbone is called the mandible. It may take weeks or months for a broken jaw to heal. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Take all drugs as ordered by your doctor.
- Rest and avoid doing things that could cause an injury to your face.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- If you have bleeding, use moist gauze and pressure until the bleeding stops.
- Avoid bending at the waist. Try to keep your head upright when you are not in bed.
- Use wax on mouth wires to avoid mouth sores.
- Do exercises for your jaw only when your doctor tells you it is safe to do them. In most cases, you will not be able to begin exercises for about 6 weeks.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- Your doctor may send you to a physical therapist to learn exercises to help with motion and strength in your jaw once the bone is healed.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Prevent infection
- Treat upset stomach and throwing up
Your doctor may give you a tetanus shot if there is a break in the skin and you have not had this shot in the past 5 to 10 years. ‚
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. Talk to your doctor if you run, work out, or play sports. You may not be able to do those things until your health problem gets better. It may take from 6 weeks to a few months to recover from a broken jaw. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
- You will be on a liquid diet for about 6 weeks.
- You may not be able to swallow as you normally would.
- Talk with a dietician about how to handle a liquid diet.
- Blend your food into liquids.
- Make sure you eat many types of foods.
- Take liquid vitamins.
- When using a straw, suck gently. Be sure the food is not too thick for the straw.
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Always wear your seat belt.
- Make sure children are using car seats or seatbelts.
- Use protective headgear like helmets or mouthguards when playing sports.
- Do not dive into water unless you know how deep it is.
- Make sure infants or small child are never left alone on a changing table, bed, or on top of a counter.
- Stay away from harmful relationships. There are many people and agencies that can help if someone is hurting you. Ask your doctor for more information on this.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, or wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Trouble breathing or you are choking
- Not able to swallow
- More bleeding
- More pain
- Redness or swelling that gets worse
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my fracture.
- I can tell you how to care for my injured area.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have trouble breathing or swallowing.
Where can I learn more?
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ‚
http://www.aaoms.org/facial_injury.php ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚