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Basics

• Summary
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Specifics
• Genetics

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• Health Check Tools

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Patient Handouts

Summary

Face injuries and disorders can cause pain and affect how you look. In severe cases, they can affect sight, speech, breathing and your ability to swallow. Fractures (broken bones), especially in the bones of your nose, cheekbone and jaw, are common facial injuries.

Certain diseases also lead to facial disorders. For example, nerve diseases like trigeminal neuralgia or Bell's palsy sometimes cause facial pain, spasms and trouble with eye or facial movement. Birth defects can also affect the face. They can cause underdeveloped or unusually prominent facial features or a lack of facial expression. Cleft lip and palate are a common facial birth defect.

Treatments and Therapies

• Corrective Jaw Surgery (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons)
• Facial Reanimation Surgery (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Scar Revision: Understanding Facial Scar Treatment (American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery)
• Treatment of Facial Injury (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons) - PDF

Specifics

• Blowout Fracture (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
• Coffin-Lowry Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Facial Hemiatrophy (Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center) Also in Spanish
• Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome (Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center)
• Mobius Syndrome (Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center)

Genetics

• Coffin-Lowry syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Freeman-Sheldon syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Moebius syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Health Check Tools

• Facial Swelling (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Craniofacial Abnormalities (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Facial Injuries (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Characterizing healthcare resource utilization in two rare diseases (Kleefstra syndrome and...
• Article: Chemical burns: pathophysiology and therapeutic protocols-do cervico-facial injuries pose specific challenges?
• Article: Impact of mouthguards on the prevention of dentofacial injuries and sports...
• Facial Injuries and Disorders -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Find an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons)
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Face pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Facial nerve palsy due to birth trauma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Facial paralysis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Facial trauma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish