FACIAL TRAUMA
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are trained and uniquely qualified to provide surgical correction of facial injuries including:
- Lacerations on the face and inside the mouth
- Loose or knocked out teeth from injuries
- Fractured jaws (upper and lower jaw)
- Fractured bones in the face (eye socket, cheek)
There are numerous possible causes of facial trauma. Motor vehicle accidents, accidental falls, sports injuries, interpersonal violence, and work related injuries account for many. Types of facial injuries can range from injuries of teeth to extremely severe injuries of the skin and bones of the face.
We are cognizant of the emotional, functional and cosmetic impact that patients often experience from facial trauma. Dr. Achong is on staff at your local hospital and provides emergency room coverage for facial injuries. He has received extensive training at a Level One Trauma Center ( Charity Hospital ) in New Orleans , Louisiana where he has provided treatment for many types of facial trauma.
INJURIES TO THE TEETH AND SURROUNDING DENTAL STRUCTURES
Oral surgeons treat fractures of the bone that surrounds your teeth and also replant teeth which have been displaced or “knocked out”. These types of injuries are treated by one of a number of forms of “splinting” (stabilizing by wiring or bonding teeth together).
If a tooth is “knocked out”, immediately place it in salt water or milk. The sooner the tooth is re-inserted into the dental socket, the better chance it will survive. Therefore, the patient should call and see us as soon as possible. Never attempt to “wipe the tooth off”, since remnants of the ligament which hold the tooth in the jaw are vital to the success of replanting the tooth.
Other dental specialists, such as endodontists and restorative dentists, may be called to perform root canal therapy and to repair fractured teeth. In the event that injured teeth cannot be saved or repaired, dental implants may utilized as replacements for missing teeth.
