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Facial Trauma: Facial Laceration Treatments | Huntsville | ScottsboroA facial laceration is a tear or cut in the skin due to a serious fall, being struck by a sharp or blunt object, a physical fight, a car crash or a sporting event.

These lacerations to the face are significant as they may involve blood and nerve vessels which can adversely impact skin and soft tissue integrity.

Reliable surgeon Dr. Landon D. McLain provides treatments for facial lacerations to patients in Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and other towns and suburbs in this standout Cotton State.

 

What are Facial Lacerations?

Facial lacerations include small cuts to the skin only that are linear. Such cuts can be treated easily with steri-strips. These are tiny strips of cloth tape and string that close the wound for around four days after which they can be removed.

Facial lacerations can also be uneven and craggy. This may require complex cosmetic surgery for repair. An especially challenging laceration is the burst-type of laceration which occurs when a person is struck by a blunt or relatively sharp object. This lacerations projects in all directions from a focal point, and may be complicated to repair.  

In children, lacerations commonly occur in the forehead, chin, and lip. They typically take a few days to heal. Laceration in adults can occur in any area around and including the cheeks, eye, and chin.

Both adults and children can experience lacerations that involve only the skin or the deeper tendons, fatty tissues, nerves, muscles, and blood vessels. In general, facial lacerations have a tendency to bleed more profusely than lacerations in other areas of the body.

Facial lacerations, in particular, require repair for the best possible results. This repair should be able to render any potentials scarring as inconspicuous as possible.

The patient should choose a skilled and experienced surgeon to repair facial lacerations to ensure that post-healing scarring is minimal. Sometimes the laceration repair may involve more than one restorative surgery.

 

Facial Lacerations Types

Facial lacerations can be simple or complex. Simple lacerations are typically linear and involve only the skin, and at times, small amounts of soft tissue.

Steri-strips or primary suturing can address these lacerations. There is usually no associated infection or the requirement for complicated repair as the facial blood supply is abundant enough to enable the wound to heal easily.

Conversely, complex lacerations also include tendon, ligaments, nerves, muscle, and blood vessels. The treatment involves thorough cleansing and repair using dissolvable and non-dissolvable sutures. The facial nerves require special attention during the restorative treatment.

The face contains many significant nerves which run superficially. These must be approximated allowing the nerve a chance to regenerate itself.

The possibility of contamination exists in all lacerations, and they should be appropriately cleaned with generous amounts of water and disinfectant soap to eliminate all apparent debris. After that, the wound can be repaired via routine suturing or cosmetic surgery.

Facial wounds such as those on the forehead are the most aesthetically apparent of all injuries. These require cautious assessment and diligent repair. While the emergency doctor can repair most types of facial lacerations, a consultation with a specialist is warranted when the technical facets of the closure are beyond the abilities of the physician.

Facial injuries involving tissue avulsion areas may be repaired most effectively in the operating room where flaps and grafts can be used. Prudent surgeon Dr. Landon D. McLain receives patients from Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and nearby areas in this area of the nation for facial laceration treatments.


McLain Surgical Arts is a leading cosmetic surgery practice headed by Dr. Landon D. McLain MD, DMD, FACS in Huntsville, AL. Dr. McLain is a double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon, offering a variety of procedures such as dental implants, wisdom teeth extraction, breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift, Botox, and laser skin resurfacing. For more information or to schedule a consultation call 256.429.3411 or click here.

Now taking patients from Huntsville, Scottsboro, Decatur, Madison, Athens, Florence, Cullman, AL and surrounding areas.

Facial Trauma: Avulsed (Knocked Out) Teeth Treatments | Hunstville The term dental avulsion refers to the complete removal of a tooth from its socket after a traumatic injury. Front tooth injuries during childhood are fairly common. When the tooth is completely knocked out of its socket (avulsed), it is a severe injury.

The maxillary central incisors are the teeth which are most impacted by avulsion injuries. Permanent teeth that have not yet matured have less mineralized bone structure. Furthermore, the periodontal ligamentum structure in such teeth is looser which causes these teeth to be less resistant against extrusive forces.

Therefore, children between seven and nine years of age typically suffer from avulsion in case of dental trauma. Experienced surgeon Dr. Landon D. McLain provides treatments for facial trauma to patients in Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and surrounding communities.

 

Replanting the Natural Tooth

Replanting the tooth as soon as possible is usually the best option. This holds true only in the case of permanent teeth. After the tooth is replanted, it can heal in two ways if properly managed. In ideal circumstances, the ligament around the tooth reforms and the longevity of the tooth is the same as any other tooth. This is called “periodontal healing.”

In cases of excessive ligament damage, the healing takes place by bony replacement. Effectively, bone replaces the tooth and is lost over a few years. This is known as “bony healing.’

 

Patient Guidelines

  • The patient should remain calm.
  • Locate the tooth, and lift it by the white part (crown). Do not touch the root.
  • In case the tooth appears dirty, wash it briefly for around ten seconds under cold running water and place it in its position. The patient or parent should try to replant the tooth. The patient should be made to bite on a handkerchief to hold the tooth in place.
  • In case this is not possible, store the tooth is an appropriate medium such as a glass of milk or a special storage unit available for knocked out teeth (for instance, saline or Hanks balanced storage medium). The tooth can be transported in the mouth as well by placing it between the molars and the inside of the cheek. However, if the patient is very young, they may swallow the tooth. Therefore, it is perspicacious to ask the patient to spit in a container and store the tooth in it. Do not store the avulsed tooth in water.
  • Seek immediate dental treatment.

In case the tooth is replanted before the patient reaches the oral surgeon’s office, the surgeon will typically undertake the following:

  • Let the tooth remain in place
  • Cleanse the area with saline, water spray, or chlorhexidine
  • Suture gingival lacerations if required
  • Assess the normal placement of the replanted tooth clinically as well as with an x-ray
  • Place a flexible splint for up to two weeks
  • Systematically administer antibiotics with tetracycline being the first choice. If the patient is young, the surgeon may administer phenoxymethyl penicillin (Pen V) or amoxicillin at suitable a dosage on the basis of the patient’s weight and age as an alternative to tetracycline.
  • In case the avulsed tooth has been in contact with contaminants such as soil and if uncertain of tetanus coverage, refer to a physician for a tetanus shot.
  • The surgeon will also initiate root canal treatment between seven to ten days of the replantation and prior to the removal of the splint.

Dedicated surgeon Dr. Landon D. McLain receives patients from Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and nearby areas for facial trauma treatments.


McLain Surgical Arts is a leading cosmetic surgery practice headed by Dr. Landon D. McLain MD, DMD, FACS in Huntsville, AL. Dr. McLain is a double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon, offering a variety of procedures such as dental implants, wisdom teeth extraction, breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift, Botox, and laser skin resurfacing. For more information or to schedule a consultation call 256.429.3411 or click here.

Now taking patients from Huntsville, Scottsboro, Decatur, Madison, Athens, Florence, Cullman, AL and surrounding areas.

Intra Oral Laceration Treatments | Hunstville | Scottsboro | DecaturIntra-oral lacerations form a small percentage of lacerations. However, in comparison to skin laceration repair, the repair of intra-oral lacerations has some significant differences.

After ensuring that the patient does not have any serious airway damage, the surgeon will evaluate the concurrent oral injuries. The cause of intra oral lacerations is typically the impact of the teeth on oral mucosa because of accidents, car crashes, contact sports, personal violence, and industrial accidents.

In general, lacerations that do not open up usually heal properly without medical intervention. However, lacerations that are gaping require wound closure to minimize the chances of infection and complications due to bleeding.

Judicious surgeon Dr. Landon D. McLain provides treatments for intra oral lacerations to patients in Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and surrounding locations in magnificent Yellowhammer State.

 

Anatomical Considerations

Typically, intra-oral lacerations heal more rapidly than injuries in other parts of the body because of the substantial vascular supply in this region. Oral laceration related dental avulsion and luxation injuries should be treated right away and before sealing the wound.

This is necessary as it allows for prompt reimplantation and access to the injured teeth is not restricted. The chances of tooth survival may reduce due to delays in reimplantation. Fractures in the teeth can be repaired hours after the injury. However, oral lacerations must be treated right away.

Some significant anatomic considerations in the repair of oral lacerations are as follows:

  • Uncontrolled tongue lacerations can cause substantial airway damage and hemorrhage. These should be treated as soon as possible.
  • Tongue and oropharynx inflammation can lead to further airway damage hours after the injury in case the injury occurs in the veins of the tongue or floor of the mouth.
  • Intraoral mucosa lacerations may be related to injuries to the parotid duct, salivary glands, teeth, submandibular duct, lips, and jaw.
  • A clear fluid discharge is seen when the glandular parotid tissue is involved.

 

Wound Repair

Indications for Primary Closure

A majority of buccal mucosa and gingival lacerations are not separated widely and can heal quickly without intervention. These wounds do not require primary closure.

Primary closure or wound repair during the time of presentation is the preferable treatment after intra-oral lacerations:

  • Wounds that are deep enough to entrap food particles
  • Wounds that are larger than two cm in length
  • Wounds with a tissue flap between the chewing (occlusal) surfaces of the teeth

 

Wound Preparation

The patient can be made comfortable with the use of local or regional anesthesia before starting irrigation and cleansing of the wound. Small children, as well as patients with wounds that are significantly contaminated, may also require procedural sedation to tolerate the wound preparation.

 

Procedure

Intraoral laceration closure techniques differ on the basis of the structures involved:

Buccal Mucosa and Gingival Lacerations

After ensuring that there is no significant injury to the facial nerve or buccal mucosa or gingiva, the substantial gaping wounds of the buccal mucosa or gingival can be sealed by the placement of deeply buried sutures in the submucosal area. If necessary, interrupted sutures on the mucosal surface may also be placed.

 

Gingival Avulsion

These wounds occur on the maxillary ridge causing a flap of tissue or the gingiva overlying the mandibular. At times, the flap may seem too small or retracted to approximate. In general, direct pressure with wet gauze can extend the tissue for reapproximation. While less common, sometimes the patient may require blunt dissection to mobilize the flap.

Accomplished surgeon Dr. Landon D. McLain receives patients from Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Decatur, Scottsboro, Cullman, Athens, Alabama, and other neighborhoods and towns in this part of the southeast for intra oral laceration treatments.


McLain Surgical Arts is a leading cosmetic surgery practice headed by Dr. Landon D. McLain MD, DMD, FACS in Huntsville, AL. Dr. McLain is a double board certified cosmetic and oral & maxillofacial surgeon, offering a variety of procedures such as dental implants, wisdom teeth extraction, breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift, Botox, and laser skin resurfacing. For more information or to schedule a consultation call 256.429.3411 or click here.

Now taking patients from Huntsville, Scottsboro, Decatur, Madison, Athens, Florence, Cullman, AL and surrounding areas.