According to an article referenced in http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1283150-overview the most common causes of jaw fracture are 1) car accident 43% 2) assault 34% 3) work accidents 7% 4) falls 7% 5) sporting incidents 4%.
With these stats in mind, I wonder how many of the healthcare providers were skeptical when I told them how I broke my jaw. If I hadn't been in so much pain myself, I would have felt sorry for my husband as he recognized that some people probably wondered if he was a wife beater. Everyone was very professional/nice though and I think they accepted my account of what happened. The fact that I had multiple fractures likely made it more credible as assaults tend to result in one fracture and not typically in the places on the mandible where mine are. Car accidents and falls are more likely to result in multiple fractures as the impact force is greater. Who knew that falling and hitting a sink is generally worse than being punched in the face? It's certainly not something I would have guessed.
The stats explain all the stories I found on this forum from people who claimed they were "sucker punched" that resulted in a broken jaw. Also, in searching for how they remove arch bars (in terms of what is used for pain control) I stumbled across a dental student forum with generally negative impressions of patients with mandible fractures. One even said that he heard another dentist state that he'd never met a mandible fracture that didn't deserve it. Nice. From their descriptions most didn't really provide adequate pain control, but that most people could take it. One even described how he had one patient remove them himself.
I am glad that my doctor offers the option of being put under for removal (other option is numbing shots and laughing gas). Both of these options are superior to what a lot of other patients seem to get. I think the difference is likely the fact that I have insurance and can go to a private doctor rather than a county hospital. Perhaps I am wrong, I hope so.
I feel that since I am concentrating on the negative that I should note that all of the other information I have found on the internet has been very helpful :) There's lots of great tips out there for maintaining dental health while wired, advice on eating and what to expect throughout the recovery process.
Anyway, finally got around to watching the Simpsons episode where homer breaks his jaw. It's not the funniest Simpsons episode, but I did laugh when Dr. Hibberd gave Marge a pamphlet about broken jaws that said on the front "so now your life is ruined". I am also very thankful that I did not have hideous headgear as Homer did in addition to having his mouth wired shut.
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