Facial Trauma

Treatment for Facial and Dental Emergencies

Many of our oral surgeons at Oral Surgery Group are on staff at multiple local hospitals to help treat facial and dental injuries and emergency conditions in New Brunswick, NJ, East Brunswick, NJ and Middlesex, NJ. Depending on the severity of your condition, your injury may be treated in one of our offices or a hospital setting.

If you call with an emergency situation or severe pain, our staff will do everything possible to see you the same day. There is a wide range of facial trauma injuries, and oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained to handle all sorts of issues, from broken teeth to facial cuts and even broken facial bones.

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go to the nearest emergency room. There is an oral surgeon on call who will treat you.

Treating Facial Trauma and Dental Injuries

Facial trauma can be caused by accidental falls, sports injuries, car accidents, and other incidents. Some of the most common facial and dental injuries that oral surgeons treat are described below.

Soft tissue injuries, such as cuts or intraoral lacerations, are usually treated by suturing. Oral surgeons are experts at repairing injuries while minimizing scarring and producing excellent cosmetic results. Your surgeon will also take care to make sure that the injury did not damage important structures, nerves, or glands.

Your general dentist can sometimes handle dental injuries, but when the damage extends below the tooth socket, or the tooth is completely knocked out, an oral surgeon may be necessary. Usually, the broken tooth will be stabilized using bonding materials, wire, or other methods so that it can heal back into proper position.

Bone/hard tissue injuries of the face and mouth are treated similarly to bone injuries in other areas. The broken bone must be stabilized so that it can heal. Since casts cannot be used over facial bones, oral surgeons use tiny screws and plates made of biocompatible materials to repair broken cheekbones, jaws, eye sockets, etc. If your injury is severe, you will likely be treated in a hospital under general anesthesia.

What To Do If You Knock Out a Tooth

Saving a natural tooth is always preferable. The first 30 minutes after injury offer the highest chances of restoration, so it’s important to come in as soon as possible after a tooth injury. If your tooth was completely broken off or knocked out, bring the tooth or fragment to the office. Do not clean off any tissues on the tooth, as they may be important for replacement. Place the tooth in a container of saliva or whole milk and bring it in as soon as possible. If your natural tooth is too damaged, your surgeon can discuss replacing the tooth with a dental implant.

Facial Trauma Treatment in New Brunswick, East Brunswick, and Middlesex, NJ

Our Staff understands how stressful a facial or dental injury can be. At Oral Surgery Group, Dr. Philip Engel, Dr. Richard Stern, Dr. Constantine Simos, Dr. Michael Stern, Dr. Amy Tanchyk, and Dr. Rohan Prabhu are all highly trained to handle a variety of facial injury issues. If you need treatment for a facial or dental injury, contact one of our offices and we will see you as soon as possible, usually shortly after you call. Many of our surgeons are on staff at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and St. Peter’s University Hospital to assist with facial trauma cases.