A broken lower jaw changes how your teeth meet, so it needs proper alignment rather than rest alone. This page explains how a mandible fracture is assessed and fixed at Elegance Clinic in Surat, and what eating and recovery look like afterwards.
A mandible fracture is a break in the lower jaw bone, most often after a road accident, fall or blow to the face. Treatment lines the broken pieces up so the teeth meet correctly, then holds them with titanium plates and screws or with jaw wiring. Fixing the bite matters as much as fixing the bone.
The mandible is the lower jaw, the only moving bone of the face. Because it forms a ring, it often breaks in two places at once, so a visible break near the chin may be paired with a quieter one near the joint in front of the ear. Common signs are pain on opening the mouth, a bite that suddenly feels wrong, loose or chipped teeth, a numb lower lip and swelling under the jaw. A CT scan or dental radiograph shows the pattern clearly.
Treatment depends on where the break sits, whether the fragments have moved, and how the teeth now meet. Small, stable breaks are sometimes managed with a soft diet and close watching. Most displaced fractures are treated with open reduction and internal fixation, where the bone is exposed, lined up and held with small titanium plates and screws. In some patterns the jaws are held together with elastics or wires for a period so the bite heals in the right position. The aim throughout is a jaw that opens well and teeth that meet the way they did before.
The bite, jaw opening and lip sensation are checked, and a CT scan or dental radiograph maps every break. Loose teeth in the fracture line are assessed, since some can be saved and some cannot.
Under general anaesthetic the teeth are brought into their correct meeting position and held there temporarily. This step guides the bone, because a jaw plated in the wrong bite will not feel right afterwards.
Most breaks are reached through a cut inside the mouth, which leaves no visible scar. A small external approach is used only where the fracture cannot be reached or held safely from within.
The fragments are lined up and held with titanium plates and screws sized for that part of the jaw. Titanium usually stays in place for life and is rarely felt through the skin.
The bite is checked again before closing. Elastics may be placed between the upper and lower teeth to guide healing, and you are shown how they work before you go home.
Swelling peaks and the jaw feels stiff and sore. Pain relief and antibiotics are given, food is liquid or blended, and mouth rinses keep the wound inside the cheek clean. Most people go home in this window.
Swelling and bruising fade steadily. A soft diet continues, and elastics may still be guiding the bite. Office work is often possible once pain is controlled, though talking a lot can tire the jaw.
The bone is usually well united by now, so chewing is built up gradually from soft foods. Jaw opening exercises help stiffness settle, and any elastics are normally stopped around this stage.
Bite, opening and lip sensation are reviewed. Numbness of the lower lip often improves slowly over months. Plates are left alone unless they cause trouble, and dental work can be completed.
Jaw fracture surgery is well established, though it carries risks like any operation. These are explained to you before consent so nothing comes as a surprise.
Cost varies with the number of fracture sites, how many plates are needed, whether the fracture reaches the joint, the implant brand chosen and the length of hospital stay. Cases with several breaks or with teeth that need attention take longer in theatre and cost more. Mandible fractures after an accident are usually admissible under mediclaim, and the team helps with pre authorisation paperwork. A written estimate is given after your scan is reviewed.
These are the questions that come up most often in consultation. If yours is not here, send it on WhatsApp and the team will reply, usually the same day.
Ask your question →The usual band is Rs 55,000 to Rs 1.2L, and where a case falls depends on the number of breaks, the plates required and the hospital stay. Fractures from an accident are commonly covered by mediclaim, and a written estimate follows the scan review.
Not always. Plates and screws often allow the jaws to move soon after surgery. Wires or guiding elastics are used in selected patterns, and where they are needed the period is kept as short as the healing bite allows.
Most breaks are fixed through a cut inside the mouth, which leaves no visible mark. An external approach is used only when the fracture cannot be reached safely from inside, and then the incision is placed in a skin crease or shadow.
Liquids and blended food come first, then soft food as comfort allows, then normal chewing once the bone has united. A dietician or the nursing team can suggest ways to keep protein and calories up while the diet is restricted.
Usually not. Titanium plates are designed to stay and most people never notice them. Removal is considered only if a plate becomes infected, feels prominent under thin skin, or causes discomfort that does not settle.
Early treatment is better, generally within the first several days. Prompt fixation makes it easier to line the bite up and lowers the chance of infection. Older fractures that healed in a poor position can still be corrected, though the surgery is bigger.
The bite, mouth opening and lip sensation are examined, and imaging is reviewed with you on screen. Fixation, the anaesthetic, the diet ahead and the recovery timeline are all explained, and you leave with a written estimate.
Seeing patients from across the city and beyond: read about the practice on the plastic surgeon in Surat page, or check what a written estimate covers on the costs and insurance page.
