Jaw Fractures and Oral Lacerations

Jaw fractures can be traumatic, pathologic, or a combination of the two. Traumatic jaw fractures occur when the jaw is otherwise normal and is exposed to a force that causes a break—a dog bite, entrapment in a fixed structure, gunshot, long distance fall, etc. Pathologic jaw fractures occur when severe periodontal disease or cancer has caused enough bone loss in the jaw that the jaw just breaks with minimal to no trauma—chewing on a soft toy, eating food, jumping off the couch, etc. The treatment plan for a jaw fracture depends on the initial cause, location of the fracture, and the health of the structures in the jaw around the fracture site. A Board Certified Veterinary Dentist^® is ideally suited to evaluate fractures of the jaw and create a treatment plan for stabilization that has the highest chance of success.