Maxillofacial Trauma
Green Bay, WI & Escanaba, MI
 At Bay Lakes Center for Complex Dentistry, our dentists help to treat a wide variety of tooth injuries, jaw realignment concerns, and other oral health needs. This includes issues like maxillofacial trauma, which pertains to certain conditions that affect your mouth, face, and jaw. Complicated malocclusions, jaw deformities, and temporomandibular joint disorders are some of the maxillofacial traumas, which can be improved or fixed through surgery.
What Is Maxillofacial Trauma?
Not many people know that, when it comes to the term maxillofacial, the term refers to your maxilla or the major bone that forms your upper jaw. Maxillofacial surgery has become a branch of surgery that includes procedures to treat many of the traumas that affect your head and neck. This surgery came out of the need to treat complicated facial injuries, particularly jaw injuries suffered by those in military service during wars. Since then, maxillofacial surgeons have focused on problems that affect tissues of the mouth and gums along with bone structural issues.
What Are Some Types Of Maxillofacial Trauma?
Maxillofacial Surgical Procedures
One of the most common procedures performed by our surgeons involves tooth extraction. If your wisdom teeth are impacted or if you suffer from a severely decayed tooth, our dentists will likely recommend maxillofacial surgery. Another common procedure is the placement of dental implants, which can be an effective solution for the spaces where your teeth used to be. These are titanium posts that we can place in your jawbone to be topped with dental crowns to create replacement teeth.
For those children with a cleft palate or lip, we encourage you to consider maxillofacial surgery for them so that they have less difficulty swallowing food or learning to speak. Surgery that addresses these conditions is recommended before the child is a year old, and will involve collaboration with a pediatrician and dentist in order to restore the appearance and structure of the palate. Maxillofacial surgery can also be arranged if you require intensive jaw realignment or if your temporomandibular joint needs repair. If you are not sure if you or your child requires surgery for any of these maxillofacial problems, you should come in to see us so we can design a treatment plan that best suits you.
How Do I Prepare For Maxillofacial Surgery?
Though maxillofacial traumas sound distinct and difficult, preparing for maxillofacial surgery is quite similar to many other types of surgery. We will first review with you in consultation what kind of anesthesia would work best for you based on your health needs and history. We will also give you support and a plan on what to eat and drink before the surgery. After the procedure is completed, make sure to follow any directions our dentists give you and to consume any medications as prescribed. We will give you everything you need to know when it comes to what you can expect from your mouth after you heal from the surgery.
If you think you may have a maxillofacial trauma or would like to learn more about these unique problems, call us today at (920) 278-7678. |
GREEN BAY (920) 278-7678
