How to Heal a Broken Jaw

Like any bone on the body, the jaw bone can become dislocated, fractured or broken. Symptoms of a broken bone include oral bleeding, an inability to open your mouth or move your jaw, bruises or swelling on the face, stiffness, pain or tenderness of the jaw, loose teeth, numbness, and/or an abnormal appearance. If you have any of the symptoms of a broken jaw, you should consult with a doctor immediately to get advice and treatment.

Things You'll Need

• Doctor
• Bandages

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Instructions

• 1

  Hold the jaw in place and apply a loose bandage over the top of the head around and under the jaw. Make sure you can move the bandage in case you need to throw up.

• 2

  Seek immediate medical attention after appyling the loose bandage. A broken jaw can cause severe bleeding. It can also cause breathing difficulties, and the blood form your jaw can actually get into your lungs, making it impossible to breathe. You cannot heal or treat a broken jaw yourself.

• 3

  Consider wearing a temporary bandage and pain medication for less severe breaks. Your doctor may recommend this option if he believes the jaw will heal on its own. You may have to eat very soft foods or a liquid diet while the jaw is healing, and it may take several weeks for the jaw to heal completely.

• 4

  Get surgery for severe fractures. If the jaw is severely broken or fractured it may be unable to heal itself. In this case, the doctor will have to wire your jaw shut so that the bones can set and heal properly. If this occurs, you will be on a liquid diet for six to eight weeks while the jaw heals.

• 5

  Be prepared to cut wires if necessary. When your doctor wires your jaw shut, you will be unable to open your mouth. If you need to throw up, you will need to be able to cut the wires in order to avoid choking on your vomit. Have scissors available at all times to cut the wires if necessary. If you cut the wires, your doctor will need to reattach them and rewire the jaw.