Injuries to the Face and Jaw

Abstract

Facial injuries occur most often through violence or vehicular accident. The main priorities after injury are to assess the airway and check for hemorrhage, followed by assessment of vision, a check for bony trauma or malocclusion, followed by assessment for soft tissue injuries. Most facial injury survey will be done via inspection, palpation, or diagnostic imaging, which includes plain radiography, CT scan, or MRI. Injuries to the face and jaw can be of the soft tissue variety. These include injuries to the facial and trigeminal nerve, parotid duct, scalp, eyelid, lacrimal duct, eyebrow, external ear, nasal passages, or lips. Treatment of maxillofacial fractures include dentoalveolar injuries, mandibular fractures, maxillary fractures, zygomatic fractures, orbital fractures, nasal fractures, nasoorbitoethmoid fractures, and frontal sinus fractures. Figures show common injuries and fractures. This chapter includes 28 references.