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Jaw Injuries and Disorders
Summary
Your jaw is a set of bones that holds your teeth. It consists of two main parts. The upper part is the maxilla. It doesn’t move. The moveable lower part is called the mandible. You move it when you talk or chew. The two halves of the mandible meet at your chin. The joint where the mandible meets your skull is the temporomandibular joint.
Jaw problems include:
- Fractures (broken bones)
- Dislocations
- Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
- Osteonecrosis, which happens when your bones lose their blood supply
- Cancers
Treatment of jaw problems depends on the cause.
Genetics
- Auriculo-condylar syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
Related Issues
- Bisphosphonate Therapy (and Osteonecrosis of the Jaw) American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Encyclopedia
- Chin augmentation Medical Encyclopedia
Treatments and Therapies
- Chin augmentation – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia
- Corrective Jaw Surgery American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
- Treatment of Facial Injury American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Jaw National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Jaw Diseases National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Jaw Fractures National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Mandibular Diseases National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Maxillary Diseases National Institutes of Health
Specifics
- Difficulty Chewing American Society of Clinical Oncology
- Fractures of the Jaw and Midface Merck & Co., Inc.
- Jaw Dislocation Merck & Co., Inc.
- Malocclusion (Misaligned Teeth) Merck & Co., Inc.
- Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome American Society of Clinical Oncology
- Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ) American College of Rheumatology
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
Patient Handouts
- Jaw – broken or dislocated Medical Encyclopedia
- Malocclusion of teeth Medical Encyclopedia
- Micrognathia Medical Encyclopedia
- Prognathism Medical Encyclopedia
Diagnosis and Tests
- Panoramic Dental X-Ray Radiological Society of North America