Bluebird Oral Surgery
Facial Trauma
Emergency and reconstructive care for injuries to the mouth, jaws, facial bones, and surrounding soft tissues.
Recently injured? ER or trauma provider?
Jump to the fracture location guide.
Use the injury-type guide below to quickly review orbit, cheekbone, mandible, midface, and dental trauma concerns — including symptoms, timing, and when surgical evaluation may be needed.
Jump to injury types
Bluebird trauma care
Hospital-level facial trauma expertise with outpatient accessibility
Bluebird Oral Surgery provides comprehensive facial trauma care for injuries involving the mouth, jaws, facial bones, and surrounding soft tissues. Our surgeons treat both urgent and elective trauma concerns, with care available in our outpatient surgical suite and at St. Charles Medical Center when hospital-based treatment is needed.
In-office care
Minor fractures, soft-tissue wounds, and isolated dental trauma can often be treated comfortably in our outpatient suite.
Hospital trauma care
For severe or multi-system injuries, our surgeons provide surgical care at St. Charles Medical Center as active members of the trauma service.
Experienced trauma surgeons
Dr. Azari completed fellowship training in craniomaxillofacial trauma and reconstruction and serves as Division Chief of Maxillofacial Trauma and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in Central Oregon. Dr. Welch and Dr. Schlam trained in rigorous hospital-based programs with extensive exposure to high-acuity trauma cases.
Coordinated across specialties
Facial trauma can affect vision, breathing, appearance, bite, and overall health. We coordinate with ENT surgeons, reconstructive surgeons, ophthalmology, trauma teams, ICU teams, hospitalists, and primary care providers when comprehensive care is needed.
Fracture location guide
Facial fractures can involve different bones with different symptoms, timelines, and treatment decisions. Use these links to move directly to the location that matches your injury or referral concern.
Orbit fractures
Eye-socket fractures can cause swelling, bruising, double vision, pain with eye movement, numbness around the cheek, or a sunken appearance once swelling resolves.
What is an orbital wall fracture? It is a break in the thin bones that form the eye socket, often caused by trauma to the face from a fall, sports injury, or accident. These fractures may involve one or more walls of the orbit, most commonly the floor or medial wall. Do all orbital fractures need surgery? Most do not. Surgery is considered for persistent double vision that does not improve or for noticeable enophthalmos when the eye remains visibly sunken after swelling resolves. Why see an ophthalmologist? Regardless of whether surgery is needed, it is very important to have your eye examined after an orbital injury. Recovery often includes swelling and bruising for 1–2 weeks, avoiding nose blowing when instructed, and follow-up visits to monitor healing and decide whether surgery is needed later. A note on nose blowing: Fractures in this area sit close to the sinuses, the air-filled spaces around your nose and eyes. Because of this, we recommend not blowing your nose for two weeks from the time of the injury or from surgery. Blowing your nose can push air into the deeper tissues of the face, and if this happens the cheek or eye area may look swollen or "puffed up." This can look alarming, but it is usually not dangerous — it just needs time to settle. Sneeze gently with your mouth open, and let your care team know if swelling comes on suddenly or feels tight and uncomfortable.
Zygoma fractures
Cheekbone injuries may affect facial shape, mouth opening, cheek sensation, and the rim of the eye socket.
What is a zygomatic fracture? It is a break in the cheekbone, which shapes your face and forms part of your eye socket. These injuries often result from trauma to the side of the face. Common symptoms include swelling and bruising over the cheek or around the eye, limited mouth opening, numbness in the cheek, upper lip, or lower eyelid, and changes in facial shape such as flattening or widening. Not all zygomatic fractures require surgery. Surgery may be recommended when the cheekbone has shifted enough to cause facial asymmetry or a flattened appearance. Timing matters because correction becomes more difficult once the bone begins healing in its new position. A note on nose blowing: The cheekbone sits right next to the sinuses, the air-filled spaces around your nose and eyes. Because of this, we recommend not blowing your nose for two weeks from the time of the injury or from surgery. Blowing your nose can push air into the deeper tissues of the face, and if this happens the cheek or eye area may look swollen or "puffed up." This can look alarming, but it is usually not dangerous — it just needs time to settle. Sneeze gently with your mouth open, and let your care team know if swelling comes on suddenly or feels tight and uncomfortable.
Zygomatic fracture reduction — before and after
Reduction repositions the cheekbone to restore facial structure and allow normal mouth opening, which can be restricted when the zygoma is pushed back. Drag to compare.
Mandible fractures
Lower-jaw fractures can affect chewing, speaking, bite alignment, jaw opening, and sensation in the lower lip or chin.
What is a mandibular fracture? It is a break in the lower jawbone, often caused by trauma such as a fall, sports injury, or accident. Common symptoms include pain when moving the jaw, difficulty chewing or opening your mouth, swelling or bruising along the jawline, numbness in the lower lip or chin, and changes in the way your teeth fit together. Treatment depends on how severe or displaced the fracture is. Displaced fractures often require surgery with small plates and screws, while non-displaced fractures with a stable bite may heal with a soft diet and limited jaw movement. Chewing is usually avoided for the first month while the bone heals.
Maxilla / midface fractures
Midface injuries can involve the upper jaw, nasal support, cheek projection, bite, and sinus region.
Maxilla and midface injuries may affect the upper jaw, the way the teeth meet, nasal support, sinus region, cheek projection, and surrounding facial bones. These injuries can occur as isolated fractures or as part of broader facial trauma. Because the midface connects the bite, airway, eye socket, cheek structure, and nose, these cases often benefit from coordinated planning across oral surgery, ENT, ophthalmology, trauma, and reconstructive teams. Treatment depends on the location and displacement of the fracture, bite changes, airway or sinus concerns, facial symmetry, and associated eye or nasal injuries. A note on nose blowing: This region contains the sinuses, the air-filled spaces around your nose and eyes. Because of this, we recommend not blowing your nose for two weeks from the time of the injury or from surgery. Blowing your nose can push air into the deeper tissues of the face, and if this happens your face may look swollen or "puffed up." This can look alarming, but it is usually not dangerous — it just needs time to settle. Sneeze gently with your mouth open, and let your care team know if swelling comes on suddenly or feels tight and uncomfortable.
Dental and alveolar trauma
Injuries around teeth and supporting bone may involve displaced teeth, fractured socket bone, soft-tissue wounds, or bite changes.
Dental and alveolar trauma involves the teeth and the bone that supports them. Injuries may include displaced teeth, knocked-out teeth, fractured socket bone, bite changes, or soft-tissue wounds around the lips, gums, or mouth. Prompt evaluation matters because tooth position, socket stability, soft-tissue repair, and infection prevention can affect long-term healing. Some injuries can be managed in-office, while more complex injuries may need coordinated treatment with a restorative dentist or other specialists. If a tooth has been displaced, bite feels different, bleeding persists, or the supporting gum and bone look disrupted, contact the surgical team promptly.
Facial Trauma details
Facial trauma overview
What urgent evaluation covers
Our team will review your needs, explain your options, and help you plan the next step with confidence.