Maxfacts

Lower jaw

Treatments for postoperative problems affecting the lower jaw (mandible) include:

• Bleeding, immediate. Direct diathermy to seal blood vessel(s), applying pressure using packs, bone wax, fibrin glue, resorbable collagen, or other proprietary products.
• Pain. Analgesia, local and systemic. Immobilization and fixation will address pain from bone mobility.
• Malocclusion. Revision of the fracture repair by taking off all fixation and reducing the fracture in the correct position and re-fixing it.
• Swelling. Corticosteroids and systemic anti-inflammatories. Cooling by applying cold compression therapy (hilotherapy) or special cooling masks may help.
• Altered sensation. Immediate surgical repair if the nerve is divided, removal of anything causing pressure on the nerve.