Facial Trauma
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are trained, skilled, and uniquely qualified to manage and treat Facial Trauma. Dr. Kienle, Dr. Steinkeler and Dr. Gunawardena are on staff at Holy Redeemer Medical Center and Abington Hospital and Medical Center to provide emergency room coverage for facial injuries including:
- Facial lacerations
- Intra oral lacerations
- Avulsed (knocked out) teeth
- Fractured facial bones (cheek, nose or eye socket)
- Fractured jaws (upper and lower jaw)
Injuries to the face, by their very nature, impart a high degree of emotional as well as physical trauma to patients. The science and art of treating these injuries requires special training involving hands-on experience and an understanding of how the treatment provided will influence the patient’s long-term function and appearance.
The Nature of Maxillofacial Trauma
There are a number of possible causes of facial trauma. Motor vehicle accidents, accidental falls, sports injuries, interpersonal violence, and work-related injuries account for many. The types of facial injuries can range from injuries of teeth to extremely severe injuries of the skin and bones of the face.
Soft Tissue Injuries of the Maxillofacial Region
When soft tissue injuries such as lacerations occur on the face, they are repaired by suturing. In addition to the obvious concern of providing a repair that yields the best cosmetic result possible. Care is taken to inspect for and treat injuries to structures such as facial nerves, salivary glands, and salivary ducts (or outflow channels). Drs. Kienle, Steinkeler and Gunawardena are highly trained oral and maxillofacial surgeons with vast experience and knowledge proficient at diagnosing and treating all types of facial lacerations.
Bone Injuries of the Maxillofacial Region
Fractures of the bones of the face are treated in a manner similar to the fractures in other parts of the body. The specific plan of treatment is determined by various factors, which include the location of the fracture, the severity of the fracture, and the age and general health of the patient. When an arm or a leg is fractured, a cast is often applied to stabilize the bone and allow for proper healing. Since a cast cannot be placed on the face, other means have been developed to stabilize facial fractures.
One of these options involves wiring the jaws together for certain fractures of the upper and/or lower jaw. However, certain other types of fractures of the jaw are best treated and stabilized by the surgical placement of small plates and screws at the involved site. This technique allows for healing and eliminates the necessity of having the jaws wired together. This technique is called rigid fixation of a fracture. The relatively recent development and use of “rigid fixation” have profoundly improved the recovery period for many patients by allowing them to return to normal function more quickly. Dr. Kienle is an active member of AONA and regularly attends their conferences.
The treatment of facial fractures should be accomplished in a thorough and predictable manner. Importantly, the patient’s facial appearance should be minimally affected. An attempt at accessing the facial bones through the fewest incisions necessary is always made. At the same time, the incisions that become necessary are designed to be small and, whenever possible, are placed so that the resultant scar is hidden.
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Injuries to the Teeth and Surrounding Dental Structures
Isolated injuries to teeth are quite common and may require the expertise of various dental specialists. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are primarily involved in treating fractures in the supporting jaw bone and/or in re-implanting teeth which have been displaced or knocked out. These types of injuries are treated by one of a number of forms of splinting (stabilizing by wiring or bonding teeth together).
If a tooth is knocked out, it should be placed in saltwater, milk, or preferably Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution. The sooner the tooth is reinserted into the dental socket, the better for the survival of the tooth. Therefore, the patient should see an oral and maxillofacial surgeon as soon as possible.
Other dental specialists may be called upon such as endodontists, who may be asked to perform root canal therapy, and/or restorative dentists who may need to repair or rebuild fractured teeth. In the event that injured teeth cannot be saved or repaired, dental implants placed by the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon are now utilized to replace missing teeth.
Please remember all of the procedures described here are surgical procedures. These surgical procedures are best performed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the only dental specialists who are fully trained in all of these surgical procedures. Drs. Kienle, Steinkeler and Gunawardena are all fully trained and experienced in these surgical procedures. All doctors in our practice are Board Certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and in Anesthesia and have also earned both a Medical and a Dental degree.
Dr. Kienle, Dr. Steinkeler and Dr. Gunawardena have the only practice in the Delaware Valley/Tri-State area where all of the surgeons have both their Medical and Dental degrees and are Board Certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Anesthesia, and in which all of our surgical facilities are Fully Accredited by the Joint Commission. You can be assured that Drs. Kienle, Steinkeler and Gunawardena have the best training and experience, along with the proper staff and facilities, to provide you with exceptional safety, and comfortable surgical care.
I was very pleased with every aspect of the visit. they had me in and out in less than an hour. - Julie R Dr. Steinkeler did an Implant for my upper molar on 3-9-21. He was VERY professional and did a wonderful job at putting me at ease during the procedure. I HIGHLY recommend him and if i need another procedure (which I hope not LOL) I would want him as my doctor.
Thx you Dr Steinkeler and his assistant Sheila for making me feel as comfortable as possible. 5 STARS AT LEAST Is my opinion.
- Chad B Overall positive experience. I would recommend to others without hesitation. - Monica F I would highly recommend the OMS center in Fort Washington, especially for wisdom teeth extraction. They did a perfect job on mine. - Nathaniel S I would like to thank Dr. Gunawardena and all the staff for making my procedure go smoothly, from booking my appointment to my extraction. Everyone is extremely nice, informative , and I felt like I was in the best hands. Thank you so much!! - Sadie D I was worried about my procedure before I went here but they did a great job with no complications. My brother had the same good experience here as well. Highly recommend. Also, as this procedure was done during COVID, I was glad they used all precautions for patient safety. - Seth B Thank you so much!! From the office staff to the doctor, everyone was friendly and made me feel comfortable. - Marla J My son had his wisdom teeth removed by Dr. Steinkeler. He was very informative and suggested a non narcotic pain medicine instead of narcotics that their office is offering and I would recommend it to everyone. Not covered by insurance ($300 or so) but very worth it instead of getting a scrip for opioid. It lasts for 72 hours and my son takes motrin here and there now that it has been 4 days since the removal. - Maryann M i had an excellent experience at this office with dr stienkeller. he and his assistant explained everything before during and after the procedure. i felt comfortable the entire visit and felt my questions and concerns were handled in perfect fashion. nobody likes going through any type of dental work obviously , but if you have to i would absolutely use this office. i honestly can’t say enough about how good of an experience i had here. - Tony O I was very nervous about getting a wisdom tooth extracted at 40. Dr. G was very friendly and personable. He eased my anxiety during my consultation. Overall excellent experience. - Francis F My surgery was quick and painless..Dr G is amazing at what he does, no pain after, surgery was a breeze..the nurses Donna and Michelle were awesome, they took great care of me and were so sweet..best experience ever with anything dental. - Stephen P Thank you Dr. Steinkeler and Staff. You really saved the day. You are correct (sorry didn’t catch your name), I wasn’t expecting to be in that chair today, but thank you and everyone for making the experience pleasant, informative and of course successful. Hope to not see you soon, at 158 York, but if you recognize me out and about please say hello. Thanks for making this a good memory. One more thing... Thanks for fitting me into today’s busy schedule!! - Philip K We had an overall great experience with Dr. Kienle and his staff in the Newtown office. We will be back when its time for my son to have his wisdom teeth removed. - Mike J Arrived at time requested,very short amount of paperwork,then appointment started on time.X rays taken with an amazing rotating X-ray machine! Doctor G came in and I got the needles for anesthesia that were literally painless.Procedure began 20 minutes later.
Literally could not tell that the tooth was out or that I was sutured! Amazing! Post op recovery was a piece of cake-2 aleves last night and thats it.Had dinner,and breakfast totally pain free.Zero chance I would go anywhere else! If you are squeamish about getting anything done,oral surgery related,this group is the only logical choice. - William B I had a fantastic experience with Dr. Gunawardena and his staff. They were amazing. I would highly recommend him to anyone. - Dawn O I’m a senior citizen, and have had tooth issues all my life, and have been to scores of dentists for treatments and routine care. I was very apprehensive of having my tooth extracted, particularly as there were complications and difficulties in doing so. The process, and outcome, were FAR better than anticipated, or than experienced previously in with other dentists and oral surgeons. I highly recommend Dr Kienle and the OMS staff. - Marilyn K I had 2 severely impacted teeth extracted by Dr. Steinkeler. There were some special circumstances that Dr. S. managed beautifully. Recovery was incredibly easy, I only needed minimal pain medication.
I receive injections for osteoporosis which can have a frightening consequence called osteonecrosis (which attacks the density of the jawbone). Dr. S. has been monitoring my recovery carefully to protect the integrity of my mandible. He is extremely thorough, and an extraordinarily kind person. It is a 40 minute drive to the closest office of O&MS, but I will never go to any other oral surgeon. - Ruth M I can't say enough great things about this practice! I had scheduled a consultation to have my wisdom teeth taken out for the last week of July. Over the weekend, my pain went from manageable to unbearable. I called th office and spoke to Nancy (nurse) as soon as they opened Monday and explained my situation. Nancy was able to schedule an appointment for me to meet with Dr. Kienle right away. My intiial consultation was great and surgery was scheduled first thing this morning after Dr.Kienle saw how inflamed my wisdom teeth were and how much pain I was in. The procedure was amazing! I explained to Dr Kienle and the nurses how nervous I was and he made sure I was in no pain and had no anixety. I was knocked out so quick I woke up and they told me we were finished. My only regret is that I did not get them taken out sooner like my dentist recommended. Thank you so much to everyone involved! I would highly reccommend their services to everyone! - Tom O I just wanted to write this review to give accolades when they are due. For Dr. Kienle, and his staff, they are definitely due. I was first scheduled to have all 4 wisdom teeth extracted in February 2020. Dr. Kienle noticed there was something not right with my EKG on the day of surgery, and would not perform surgery until a cardiac clearance was completed. It was found that I did have a mild underlying cardiac condition, which I never knew I had. Dr. Kienle noticed it right away. Dr. Kienle is an excellent Oral Surgeon AND Physician. I was then rescheduled for Oral Surgery in March. Covid arrived and my oral surgery was cancelled in March, April, then May. Everytime Dr. Kienle's office had to cancel because of Covid, they made sure I was not in any pain or had infections, as they would be there for emergencies only. They really do care about your well being. Finally, in June, when elective surgeries were allowed to be performed again, I was scheduled. I was very apprehensive about the surgery ( I don't like dentists in general), but Dr. Kienle and his staff were so kind, and reassuring. Before I knew it, I woke up with gauze in my mouth and surgery was over. A nurse walked me out to the car where my husband was waiting (because of Covid he had to stay in parking lot). Everyone in the Warminster office is so kind, funny, and professional. They really put you at ease. Bleeding, and bleeding time was minimal. Swelling was non existent. Pain for having all 4 Wisdom Teeth out at the age of 50 was very minimal, and I was able to get away with just taking Advil and Tylenol the day of, and the day after surgery. By day 2, I was still a little sore, but did not need any pain medicine at all. Recovery went smoothly, and better than expected. Dr. Kienle is an excellent Oral Surgeon, and I would highly recommend him. In fact, I already have to 4 of my coworkers. Thanks again to Dr. Kienle and his staff! - Sindy W The office is very clean, and the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. The dentist is never my first choice, but he explained everything as he worked. - Kelli LFlagship Oral, Facial, and Dental Implant Surgery
Patient Review by Julie R
Patient Review by Chad B
Patient Review by Monica F
Patient Review by Nathaniel S
Patient Review by Sadie D
Patient Review by Seth B
Patient Review by Marla J
Patient Review by Maryann M
Patient Review by Tony O
Patient Review by Francis F
Patient Review by Stephen P
Patient Review by Philip K
Patient Review by Mike J
Patient Review by William B
Patient Review by Dawn O
Patient Review by Marilyn K
Patient Review by Ruth M
Patient Review by Tom O
Patient Review by Sindy W
Patient Review by Kelli L
