Facial Trauma

Pediatric plastic surgeons treat all types of trauma to the face, including fractures of the jaw, nose, cheekbones, eyes and skull. They also treat injuries to the soft tissue of the face resulting from lacerations, animal bites, burns and other accidents.

Fractures of the facial bones can cause multiple problems affecting the patient’s growth, teeth, vision and sensation. Complex fractures involving the cranial bones sometimes require coordination with a pediatric neurosurgeon.

In some cases, children who have persistent facial deformities after facial injury can benefit from an evaluation by a craniofacial expert.

Diagnosis of Facial Trauma

Diagnosis of a traumatic facial injury includes identifying symptoms such as bruising, pain while chewing, vision problems, malocclusion (incorrect alignment of the teeth), breathing issues and loss of sensation.

In the case of a fracture, X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and other types of imaging help your child's doctor determine how severe the injury is.