Dental knowledge: dental trauma
Surgical care of patients with injuries to the facial region.
Treating injuries in the head region calls for special anatomical knowledge. Sensitive tissues, functions and nerves lie close together. Teeth lost through trauma, soft-tissue injuries and injuries to the jaws or to the bony structures of the skull belong in the hands of specialists in oral and maxillofacial surgery. They work with modern imaging techniques so that every injury can be identified and potential risks ruled out as far as possible.
In the surgical care of patients with facial injuries, the priority is early reconstruction of the bony structure of the facial skeleton and its soft tissues. Osteosynthesis is a surgical method of treating fractures. Its aim is to restore broken or injured bone to full function quickly. Anatomical reduction – fixing the matching bone fragments in as normal a position as possible – is achieved with plates and screws.
Bone lost through an accident can be replaced by taking tissue from the patient's own body. Donor sites for bone grafts are the iliac crest, the ribs and the shoulder blade. Where both bone and soft tissue are lost, bone is grafted together with skin and muscle. In a microsurgical procedure the graft is transplanted along with its supplying vessels and connected to the vessels and nerves of the recipient site.
Wherever possible, injuries to the bones of the facial skeleton are treated intraorally, meaning that the incisions run inside the mouth. Visible scarring can be minimised in this way.
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