You have been treated for a broken jaw (mandible) but struggling to find specific information, especially about healing and recovery.
I answer the most common questions from patients who have had a fractured jaw. I base this article on my experience as a diagnostic radiographer and extensive research and reading of medical literature on the management of Jaw fractures.
Happy reading!😀
Have any questions, remarks, or experience to share? Feel free to use the comment section at the end of the article!🙏
Last updated: April 2024. Written by Juliet Semakula, diagnostic radiographer.
Disclaimer: no affiliate links.
Summary: A broken jaw may affect your ability to eat, speak and breath. Left untreated, your jawbone may not heal in a way that affects the way it works.
▶️Basics
A broken or dislocated jaw is a break (fracture) in the jawbone.
Your jaw can dislocate, meaning the lower part of the jaw can move out of its normal position at one or both joints where the jawbone connects to the skull (temporomandibular joints).
▶️What could cause your jaw (mandible) to break?
I have x-rayed so many fractured mandibles, most patients claim to have fractured their jaw as a result of the following causes.
🔴Some patients came to us when they have been punched in the jaw while fighting.
🔴Road accidents.
🔴Falls resulting hitting the jaw hard on the ground.
Most scientific research shows that interpersonal violence where you are hit in the jaw by another person is the most common cause of broken jaw followed by vehicle accidents. Falls are very rare.
The highest incidence of mandibular fractures occur in young patients aged 6-12 years, and adults aged 19-29 both male and female.(Atilgan, 2010)
Your jaw can break or dislocate in different parts. Most breaks I see are usually in the adult age group between 18 to 29.
When you have had a broken Jaw, you will experience pain particularly when you try to move your lower jaw back and forth or up and down.
I have seen patients in a situation where they cannot open or close their mouth after a fractured jaw.
▶️What are some of the symptoms associated with a broken jaw?
🟩You will get a nose or mouth bleeding.
🟩Your jaw will be bruised.
🟩Your jaw will be swollen.
🟩Sometimes you will lose some of your teeth or your upper and lower teeth will not match up when you close your mouth.
🟩You might have trouble breathing.
🟩It will hurt when you try to chew food or talk.
🟩Your face might feel numb, and your ears might hurt.
⚠️Caution⚠️! All these symptoms may not necessarily be present at the same time. Your symptoms will depend on how bad your fracture is.
▶️What does a broken jaw on x-ray look like?
Jaw fracture in two places where the arrows are pointing.
▶️How will they diagnose a fractured jaw?
When you go to the doctors you will be examined, and you will be sent for x-ray for some imaging.
If your jaw is broken it will be projected on the x-ray images straight on.
So, x-ray will be the first line of imaging before they send you to computer tomography (CT) to check if you have fractured any other bones in your face or to check any internal bleeding.
When they diagnose you with a fractured jaw you will be told, and your medical records will clearly state what type of fracture you have got.
▶️Can a broken jaw heal on its own?
A broken jaw is a medical emergency regardless of what part of your jawbone is broken. Healing will depend on how bad it is fractured.
To answer this question, YES, a mild break can heal on its own but you must see a doctor to rule out other injuries.
▶️How do they treat a broken jaw? Treatment options:
The treatment will depend on how minor or severe your jaw bone is broken.
Without surgery: conservative treatment
With mild fractures surgery may not be necessary. In such cases, you will receive specific instructions to help promote healing.
🛌Having enough rest, try to restrict yourself from things that could harm your head.
🧊Use cold packs to help with swelling.
💊You will be given pain medicines to help you with pain and swelling.
🥃You will probably have to eat soft foods or stay on a liquid diet for a while or 4 to 6 weeks.
Critical fractures of a jaw, surgery will be an option.
The goal of the operation is to realign the jawbone and stabilise the fracture to ensure everything stays in place and facilitate healing.
There are several methods used for fixing a jaw fracture.
1️⃣Wiring is a simple non-invasive method that is often used for minor fractures. This method involves using wires to hold the fractured bones in place.
2️⃣Plating is more invasive but is often effective for severe fractures. Plating involves using metal plates and screws to hold the fractured bones in place.
The plates and screws are usually left in place permanently, but in some cases, they may be removed after the bone has healed.
3️⃣External fixation: is a method used for complex fractures. This method involves the use of pins and wires that are placed outside the skin to hold the fractured bones in place.
4️⃣Intermaxillary fixation: This method involves the use of wires or elastic bands to hold the upper and lower teeth together. This immobilises the jaw, allowing the fractured bones to heal.
Intermaxillary fixation is usually used for fractures of the upper
Image on the top: before the operation and below after surgery showing metal plates and screws inserted:
▶️What happens to the metal plates and jaw-wires afterwards?
The metal plates are usually left inside your jaw permanently.
However I have seen occasionally patients come in with infected plates, sometimes broken, or when the plate just feels uncomfortable.
In such cases plates may be removed, 6 weeks after the surgery.
What you should know ,It may take weeks for your jaw to heal even if you don’t need surgery to repair it.
▶️Possible side effects after surgery.
➡️Infection may occur several days after the operation. Your mouth may feel increasingly swollen, tender and you would have a nasty taste.
It is very important to keep your mouth clean and refrain from smoking in the days immediately after the operation.
➡️Numbness: Our jaw has several nerves which could be bruised /damaged when you break a jaw.so if your nerves are damaged they will be repaired during the operation.
This may result in numbness/ tingling of the skin surrounding your lower lip and chin. The numbness may last for several weeks or months. Some studies state that, there is a small chance that it may be permanent.
➡️Broken teeth: It is very possible that your fracture could cause damage to some of your teeth.
If this is the case, it may be necessary to remove the damaged teeth while your jaw is operated on.
➡️If your jaw fails to heal, another operation may be necessary to repeat the surgery.
Studies suggest that hardware failure and infection are the most common treatment side effects. Hardware failure happens when the plates, screws and wires break or don’t work like they should.
Let me answer a few of your common questions
▶️What happens if a broken jaw is left untreated?
🔶Breathing difficulties could develop if you were to leave a broken jaw unattended.
🔶It could also cause problems with chewing and swallowing.
🔶 Injuries that cause facial fractures may also affect the central nervous system or brain.
so it’s very important to get medical attention if you think you have fractured your jaw.
▶️Can you have a broken jaw and not know?
The reality is, there are many fractures that are not so obvious.
It is possible to fracture different parts of your body and ignore the signs that there is a problem.
A fractured jaw is one of the parts of the body that you may not realise is a problem.
▶️How long does it take to recover from a broken jaw?
Timeline of a broken jaw healing is determined by several factors, such as severity of the injury, age, and your overall health.
However even taking these factors into consideration it’s very difficult to predict if your full recovery will be in certain weeks or months.
Here is a rough estimate for patients I have seen and some empirical date for mandible recovery and healing time.
| Phase | Recovery Time |
| Initial bone consolidation and less pain | Around 2 to 6 weeks. |
| Swelling around the jaw decreases | Around 2 weeks for the majority of swelling to disappear |
| Eating liquid food only | Around 6 weeks before chewing |
| You can eat food that needs chewing | After 6 weeks see how you feel with light chewing. |
| Driving after a broken jaw | for 2 or more weeks, it will depend on how you feel, consult your doctor and check your country’s driving laws. |
| Can you drink alcohol/smoke after surgery | Give it 6 weeks after surgery or more to avoid any kind of infection. |
| Resume sports where you have to use your head | After 6 months or more,Avoid putting pressure on your head. |
| You are completely healed | complete healing can take up to 12 weeks |
How long to recover after a jaw fracture
▶️How can you manage discomfort and speed up recovery?
While you cannot do anything about the healing process, there are several things you can do at home to help speed up your recovery and make it less painful.
If you smoke, give up smoking until you recover because it will increase the risk of infection and slow healing time.
Taking pain reliever medication prescribed by your doctor will help ease pain.
Feeding habits
How do you eat with a broken jaw?
Eating after a broken jaw is going to be very difficult because you will not be able to bite and chew using your jaw as it heals. Your gums will be sore because of the fracture, you might have loose teeth and stiffness of the jaw.
And if you must have your jaw wired, you won’t be able to open and close your mouth for much of your recovery period.
After a few days, these may be loosened, or you may be advised by your orthodontist that they can be taken off during mealtimes.
For this reason, you will need to get your daily nutrients through a straw, spoon or a small plastic syringe. You will need to drink plenty of nourishing fluids.
Liquid diet
In the first few days after your surgery, you may have puree fruits and vegetables, as well as smoothies, soups and milk.
You will not be able to chew for at least six weeks after the surgery.
Hydration
It is important to drink a lot of fluids at list eight cups of fluids per day to ensure you maintain good hydration.
While your broken jaw heals, be sure to avoid hot foods and drinks as you may experience heightened sensitivity during this time. Eat your food at a lukewarm temperature to avoid irritation in the mouth.
Nutrition
If you are on a liquid diet, it is important that the fluids you consume are nourishing to maintain your nutritional intake.
Try to have two to three nourishing drinks or smooth soups at breakfast, lunch and dinner, or spread them out throughout the day, aiming for six to eight per day.
Try to drink a vitamin C rich drink daily, for example orange juice or fortified squash.
⚠️Caution⚠️!It is best to avoid crunchy and chewy foods completely during this time as you recover. You will not be able to chew for at least six weeks after the surgery.
➡️Can I drive with a broken jaw?
Your doctor will discuss this with you before discharge. Depending on the nature of your work, it may be necessary to take 2 or more weeks off work to avoid strenuous exercise during this time.
It is important to remember that you should not drive for 48 hours after your general anaesthetic.
➡️How do you sleep with a broken jaw?
Sleeping on your back is considered an ideal position for reducing pain because it avoids pressure on the jaw.
It will help keep your head and neck in better alignment and it will provide increased support for the head, neck and shoulders and make it less likely that teeth grinding will occur.
If you sleep on the same side as your surgical wounds, you will put pressure on your surgical wounds that can add to your discomfort.
Hence delaying your recovery time and increasing your risk of complications.
You have reached the end of this article. I hope I have answered your main questions. I wish you a quick recovery.💁
📚Reference:
Stacey DH, Doyle JF, Mount DL, Snyder MC, Gutowski KA. Management of mandible fractures. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2006 Mar;117(3):48e-60e. doi:10.1097/01.prs.0000209392.85221.0b. PMID: 16525255.
Hamill jp, owsley jq jr, kauffman rr, blackfield hm. the treatment of fractures of the mandible. Calif Med. 1964 Sep;101(3):184-7. PMID: 14199088; PMCID: PMC1515607.
Lamphier J, Ziccardi V, Ruvo A, Janel M. Complications of mandibular fractures in an urban teaching centre. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2003 Jul;61(7):745-9; discussion 749-50. [PubMed] [Reference list]
Anyanechi CE, Saheeb BD. Complications of mandibular fracture: study of the treatment methods in calabar, Nigeria. West Indian Med J. 2014 Aug;63(4):349-53. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Reference list]
Atilgan S, Erol B, Yaman F, Yilmaz N, Ucan MC. Mandibular fractures: a comparative analysis between young and adult patients in the southeast region of Turkey. J Appl Oral Sci. 2010 Jan-Feb;18(1):17-22. doi:10.1590/s1678-77572010000100005. PMID: 20379677; PMCID: PMC5349041.