A suspected fracture of the jaw or facial bones following trauma, accident, or assault.
Keep the person as calm and still as possible. Do not move their head or neck unnecessarily.
If the person is conscious, tell them to keep their teeth gently together — this naturally supports the jaw.
Support the jaw from below with your hand or a folded cloth tied gently over the head and under the chin to hold it in place.
Check the airway first — can they breathe clearly? If they are gurgling or struggling to breathe, this is the priority over the jaw.
If there is bleeding inside the mouth, position them leaning slightly forward so blood drains out rather than back into the throat.
Do not give anything to eat or drink.
Do not attempt to realign or push the jaw back into place.
Keep them still and get to a hospital as quickly as possible.
Person cannot breathe or is making gurgling sounds — airway is blocked, this is the immediate priority.
Teeth are severely misaligned or missing and embedded in soft tissue.
Person is losing consciousness.
Significant swelling is closing the throat.
Injury followed a high-impact accident — suspect spinal injury, do not move the neck.
Never attempt to force the mouth open or closed.
Do not bind the jaw so tightly that it restricts breathing.
Do not give painkillers that require chewing.
If the person vomits, remove the jaw support immediately to prevent choking.
✓ What Helps
· Cold compress or ice wrapped in cloth to reduce swelling — apply gently, never directly to skin
· Liquid paracetamol for pain if person can swallow safely
✗ What To Avoid
· Aspirin — increases bleeding risk
· Any tablet medication that requires chewing
· Solid food of any kind
→ Ask The Pharmacist For
· Sterile gauze to control mouth bleeding
· Liquid pain relief only
🏥 Get Professional Help
All jaw fractures require hospital treatment. This is not manageable at home. Get to the nearest facility with surgical capacity as soon as possible.