Jaw - broken or dislocated

Alternative names

Dislocated jaw; Fractured jaw; Broken jaw

Definition

A facial injury that results in the jaw bone breaking or moving out of position.

Considerations

A broken or dislocated jaw usually heals completely after treatment. Recurrence of a dislocated jaw is common.

Complications may include:

• Airway obstruction
  
• Bleeding
  
• Aspiration of foreign material (such as blood or food) into the lungs
  
• Infection of the jaw or face
  
• Recurrent dislocated jaw
  
• Chronic temporal-mandibular joint problems (TMJ)
  
• Difficulty talking (temporary)
  
• Difficulty eating (temporary)
  
• Imperfect closure (malocclusion) of the teeth
  

Causes

A broken or dislocated jaw is a common facial injury. The jaw (also called the mandible) is the only mobile bone of the face. It holds the lower teeth. (The term "upper jaw" refers to the immobile bone that extends from the upper teeth to the eyes.)

The jaw is connected to the skull by a hinged joint located in front of the ears (temporal-mandibular joint). Strong muscles extend from the jaw to the skull.

A dislocated jaw occurs when the mandible is displaced from one or both of the temporal-mandibular joints. Fractures (breaks) in the jaw bone may occur at the site of injury and on the opposite side of the jaw. If the upper jaw bone is also fractured, the trauma may have been severe enough to involve multiple areas of the face, neck, and back.

The most common cause of a broken or dislocated jaw is a traumatic blow to the face. This may be the result of a motor vehicle accident, industrial accident, recreational or sports injury, assault, or other trauma.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a dislocated jaw include:

• Pain in the face or jaw, located in front of the ear on the affected side(s), worse with movement
  
• Inability to close the mouth
  
• Drooling because of inability to close the mouth
  
• Difficulty speaking
  
• Jaw may protrude forward
  
• Teeth may not align normally
  
• Bite feels "off" or crooked