Jaw fracture - Treatment Guidelines


Treatment

  • Manual repositioning or repositioning with forceps of displaced segment.
  • Stabilize the fracture with splint using intermaxillary immobilization for 4 weeks.
  • An alternative treatment is surgical repositioning and stabilization using plating (open reduction). In this case intermaxillary splinting can usually be avoided.

Patient instructions

  • Good healing following an injury to the teeth and oral tissues depends, in part, on good oral hygiene. Brushing with a soft brush and rinsing with chlorhexidine 0.1 % is beneficial to prevent accumulation of plaque and debris.

Follow-up

  • Splint removal and clinical and radiographic control after 4 weeks.
  • Clinical and radiographic control after 6-8 weeks, 4 months, 6 months, 1 year and yearly for 5 years.

AO Surgery Reference

Treatment of fracture in the mandible and maxilla are covered in depth in the AO Surgery Reference

To acces information about treatment of mandibular and maxillary fractures on the AO Surgical reference click:

Dental Trauma Guide 2010 - produced in cooperation with the Resource Centre for Rare Oral Diseases and Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery
at the University Hospital of Copenhagen - Last edited the 07-01-2014.