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The maxilla (max-ill-ah) is the upper jaw. Similar to the mandible, the maxilla has 10 deciduous teeth (baby teeth) in children, and 16 permanent teeth (adult teeth) in adults. The goal of treatment in maxillary fractures is to allow the bones to heal in the correct position, and restore the bite pattern.
Similar to mandibular fractures, maxillary fractures may be treated with observation, maxillomandibular fixation or open reduction/internal fixation (Figure 1). Regardless of which treatment is used, this type of fracture also requires restricting the patient’s diet to liquids and soft food for 6 weeks.
Figure 1: Example of a maxillary fracture (in this case, a LeFort 1 fracture) treated with open reduction and internal fixation
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