Facial Injuries and Disorders

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.

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Specifics

• Blowout Fracture American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
• Coffin Lowry Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Hemifacial Spasm National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Moebius Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Parry-Romberg Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Clinical Trials

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

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

Treatments and Therapies

• Corrective Jaw Surgery American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• 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

Patient Handouts

• Face pain Medical Encyclopedia
• Facial nerve palsy due to birth trauma Medical Encyclopedia
• Facial paralysis Medical Encyclopedia
• Facial trauma Medical Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia

• Facial swelling Medical Encyclopedia
• Facial tics Medical Encyclopedia

Health Check Tools

• Facial Swelling American Academy of Family Physicians

Find an Expert

• Find an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Journal Articles

• Facial Injuries and Disorders

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• Shedding Light on Facial Pain