Procedures & conditions
Plain guides to surgery of the face and jaws. Start with a main area below. Then open the topic that you need.
Jaw (orthognathic) surgery
Planned surgery that moves the upper jaw, the lower jaw, or both. It corrects the bite, helps breathing, and balances the face.
OpenFacial trauma
An injury to the bones and soft tissue of the face. It can be one cracked cheekbone or several broken parts at the same time.
OpenInjury types
The fractures and injuries that surgeons treat. Each one has its own page.
Mandible (lower jaw) fractures
The lower jaw is the facial bone that breaks most often. It is a ring of bone, so it often breaks in two places at once.
Read the guideMidface & maxilla fractures (Le Fort I / II / III)
Breaks that separate the upper jaw and mid-face in three set patterns. René Le Fort described them first.
Read the guideZygomatic complex (cheekbone) fractures
A broken cheekbone can flatten the face, change eye movement, and cause a numb cheek. Surgery puts it back in position.
Read the guideOrbital & naso-orbito-ethmoid (NOE) fractures
Breaks around the eye socket and the thin area where the nose meets the eyes. Here the first job is to protect your vision.
Read the guideNasal & frontal sinus fractures
The nose is the facial bone that breaks most often. The frontal sinus sits behind the forehead and needs a careful check when it breaks.
Read the guideDentoalveolar injuries
Injuries to the teeth and the bone that holds them. Teeth can be knocked out, loose, pushed in, or broken after a fall or a hit to the mouth.
Read the guideSoft-tissue facial lacerations
Cuts and wounds in the skin and tissue of the face. Surgeons repair them for good healing and the best possible scar.
Read the guidePanfacial trauma
More than one area of the face is hurt at the same time. The repair needs a careful order.
Read the guide