A broken jaw is normally caused by direct trauma to the face. Very occasionally, a blow to one side of the jaw can fracture the other side. Broken jaws are quite rare in childhood because the bones are fairly springy – they’re more common in young people, especially in young men.  Violence, sports and car accidents are the main cause of jaw fractures.

What’s happening?

The person in trouble may:

• have pain when trying to talk, chew or swallow
• have blood in their saliva
• have swelling of the jaw area
• have displaced teeth

What to do

• Get the person to lean forward so that fluids can exit the mouth.
• Ask the person to spit out any dentures or loose teeth (keep hold of these to give to a doctor or ambulance crew).
• Give the person a soft pad to hold loosely against their jaw.
• Take the casualty to hospital.

Never bandage the jaw or lower part of the face. This can hinder breathing or cause choking if the person is sick.

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