Facial Fractures

POST-OP INSTRUCTIONS FOR JAW FRACTURE PATIENTS

You have sustained a significant injury to your jaw. It may be necessary to treat your injury with wires, plates, or a combination of both.

Normal healing time for jaw fractures is 6-8 weeks.

Medications:

You may be prescribed several medications depending on the nature of your injury. It is important to follow the instructions on the prescription label. If you are prescribed antibiotics, it is important to take them exactly as prescribed.

If you are taking a medication on a daily basis in pill form, please discuss this with Dr. Hall.

Diet:

The treatment of your broken jaw will affect the way you eat. You will not be able to chew solid foods for 6-8 weeks.  You will be placed on a liquid diet. We will provide you with a menu to help with your nutrition.

Home Care:

Oral Hygiene; A clean mouth will aid in healing. A soft bristled tooth brush is recommended for use around the braces and wires, as they tend to trap food. In addition, you may be given a prescription for a special mouth rinse to aid in keeping the mouth clean.

Swelling:

It will be beneficial to apply ice for the first 48 hours after surgery. Place the ice pack in the surgical area, 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. After 48 hours you may use heat in the surgical area, heating pad or warm cloth may be used.

Swelling may take 10-14 days to resolve. After the first 4-7 days, swelling will begin to decrease. If you notice an increase in swelling after 4-7 days contact our office. 

Incision Care:

Depending upon the type of fracture, it may have been necessary to make an incision on your skin. Your care of this incision is important to prevent infection. Unless otherwise instructed by Dr. Hall, the bandage coverage this area should remain in place until the sutures are removed in our office.

Activity:

For the first two weeks after surgery, it is recommended that you avoid heavy lifting. Dr. Hall will let you know when normal activity can be resumed.

No operating machinery or driving a vehicle for 24 hours after your surgery or last dose of pain medicine.

Wires and brackets:

The brackets and wires placed in your mouth are necessary to stabilize and immobilize your fracture. If the wires become loose over time, contact us and we can re-tighten them. Do not cut the wires unless it is an extreme emergency. Then contact our office for immediately.

Follow up:

Follow up visits are important to keep so we can follow the healing process. Failure to attend your follow up visits may result in complications.