Maxillofacial surgeries
These surgeries are of great importance to a wide range of patients; For its combination of the cosmetic and functional incisions, although there is worldwide disagreement about the exact description of the group of oral and maxillofacial surgeries, it is according to the classification of the American Dental Association; It is considered one of the nine branches derived from the specialty of dentistry, which is considered one of the most advanced medical branches now in Egypt and the world. This specialization includes all operations aimed at repairing congenital malformations, damage resulting from accidents, tumors, or cases of facial paralysis, as well as face transplants, in addition to ear and nose restoration operations. Here are all the details of maxillofacial surgeries that it is necessary to know.
What are maxillofacial surgeries?
It is a group of surgical procedures aimed at repairing jaw and mouth problems, whether caused by genetic problems or those caused by an accident. The cases included in this specialty range from minor surgeries such as tooth extraction and dental abscess removal; To the most complex surgeries, such as dental implants and their related structures, bone implants in the jaw area, maxillary sinus lift, and the process of deviation of the jaw bones that result in many complications, such as difficulty in biting, chewing, swallowing, pain, speech difficulties, and stopping breathing during sleep etc.
What is the importance of maxillofacial surgery?
Maxillofacial surgery or what is called “orthognathic surgery” is very useful for correcting irregular jaw bones, and realigning the jaw and teeth; To improve its work, and thus improve the appearance of the face as well. Oral and maxillofacial surgeries are useful in difficult cases that cannot be dealt with through orthodontic technology. These surgeries are mostly done from the age of 14 to 16 years for females, and from 17 to 21 years for males.
Face and palm surgeries may be useful in the following cases:
- Improve biting and chewing problems and make it easier.
- Correct speaking and swallowing problems.
- Reduce excessive wear and breakage of teeth.
- Correcting problems with jaw closure or bite size.
- Correcting facial imbalance and asymmetry, such as a small chin, and jaw protrusion.
- The inability of the lips to close easily.
- Various jaw problems, such as pain from a temporomandibular joint disorder.
- Congenital defects in the face, or deformities caused by accidents.
- Obstructive sleep apnea.
كسور الوجه والفكين
Maxillofacial fractures can occur for several reasons, most notably accidents, sports injuries, falls, and beatings. These fractures may occur either in the bones of the nose, the cheek, or the jaw; Causing pain, swelling, and bruising. French surgeon René Le Fort has established a classification of facial fractures, usually resulting from accidents, into:
- Class I: a fracture extending over the upper jaw.
- The second category: a fracture that extends from the lower part of one of the cheeks, extends to under the eye, through the bridge of the nose, and extends to the lower part of the other cheek.
- Class III: a fracture that extends across the bridge of the nose and the bones around the eyes.
As for jaw fractures, they are often either
- Fractures of the upper jaw, and it has more than one location. Fractures can be found in the bones of the base of the diaphragm or in the cheekbone, or other fractures may extend into the jaw. These fractures lead to the emergence of several symptoms depending on the case, including swelling, distortion in the appearance of the face, numbness, double vision, a change in the way the teeth are aligned, the inability to open the jaw completely, etc. Sometimes strong maxillary fractures can injure the spine in the neck region, or cause an injury to the brain.
- Lower jaw fractures that usually lead to pain and swelling in the jaw, and the teeth are not aligned together, as well as the inability to open the mouth completely, or turn it to one side when opening and closing.
Maxillofacial fractures can occur for several reasons, most notably accidents, sports injuries, falls, and beatings. These fractures may occur either in the bones of the nose, the cheek, or the jaw; Causing pain, swelling, and bruising. French surgeon René Le Fort has established a classification of facial fractures, usually resulting from accidents, into:
- Class I: a fracture extending over the upper jaw.
- The second category: a fracture that extends from the lower part of one of the cheeks, extends to under the eye, through the bridge of the nose, and extends to the lower part of the other cheek.
- Class III: a fracture that extends across the bridge of the nose and the bones around the eyes.
Steps for diagnosing maxillofacial fractures
In most cases, the doctor can detect fractures of the face and jaws by clinical examination, but sometimes the following is done:
- resort to an eye examination; If the patient suffers from vision problems, or an injury near the eye.
- In cases of fractures of the lower jaw or tooth socket only; The doctor resorts to X-rays, and he may also resort to them in diagnosing fractures of the upper jaw; To rule out any damage to the spine.
- There are some cases of maxillary fractures that require a CT scan, especially those cases that have symptoms of a brain injury.
How to treat facial and jaw fracture؟
This is done through maxillofacial surgeries, which are often used in cases that suffer from functional problems and deformities.
- There are some minor mandibular fractures that do not need treatment; except that the patient stops chewing; Therefore, the doctor often prescribes a diet for him that includes soft food or liquids. As for difficult cases of fractures of the lower jaw, in which a fracture occurs in more than one place, or the ends of the bones are separated; These cases require jaw repair operations; By inserting metal plates into the bone on each side of the fracture, or connecting the upper and lower jaws together for a few weeks.
- Also, fractures of the upper jaw are treated surgically if they cause functional problems, but doctors wait several days after the injury (until the swelling goes away), and the surgery mostly involves fixation with screws and plates, and the doctor may usually need to install the jaws together after surgery for several days Just.
- As for socket fractures; It is mostly treated with antibiotics.
جراحات الوجه والفكين التجميلية
These operations aim to achieve cosmetic and functional goals related to the face and jaws. Where the patient searches for the external aesthetic form, of course, but before that access is to restore the anatomical functions of the parts of the mouth, face and jaws, and fix problems with swallowing, chewing, and speaking, as well as fixing bone deformities, and returning them to what they were before the injury. This sector of surgeries includes many operations, most notably:
- Repair of modern and old facial fractures.
- Treatment of cases of deformity of the face, and jaws.
- Facial reconstruction surgeries, after accidents, cancer, or facial paralysis.
- Birth defect repair.
- Dental implants.
Face transplants, ear and nose restorations.
Who are the candidates for cosmetic maxillofacial surgery؟
- Children with congenital anomalies, such as a cleft lip and cleft palate.
- Persons who have had accidents or burns resulting in disfigurement of the face; They will need to undergo a face transplant, which is a very complex plastic surgery, which takes up to 10 hours.
- People with jaw deformities, such as jaw bone irregularities, for which the sole use of orthodontics has failed.
- حالات تراكب الأسنان ، وصغر الذقن ، أو بروز أسنان الفك ، إلخ.
- People who have problems chewing, swallowing or speaking properly.
- Cases that cannot close the lips completely.
- People with sleep apnea syndrome.
جراحات الوجه والفكين التجميلية تعتبر من الجراحات الحساسة للغاية التي تتطلب جراح خبير وماهر، يستطيع اختيار التقنية الأفضل لكل حالة؛ للوصول إلى أفضل النتائج، والاقتراب قدر الإمكان للوضع الطبيعي لمكان الإصابة؛ بأقل قدر من المخاطر أو المضاعفات، فكل حالة لها خصوصيتها سواء في التشخيص أو الاستعدادات وكذلك طريقة إجراء الجراحة، والتعليمات الخاصة بفترة النقاهة.