A sudden blow is the usual cause, but dislocation may occur from yawning while leaning with the chin on one hand. Careful manipulation by a physician repositions a dislocated jaw. A person with a fractured jaw can not eat solid food. It is impossible to bite. The broken jaw is usually wired to the other jaw to reestablish the correct biting position.
All food has to be sucked through a straw.
Great care must be taken to ensure that choking and vomiting do not occur because a person whose jaws are wired together can not expel the vomit and may choke to death. A physician may advise the patient to carry wire cutters to use in such an emergency. The body temperature may also no longer be synchronized with day and night requirements. It is, therefore, advisable to drink plenty of nonalcoholic fluids during a long flight. Some people believe that jet lag may be completely avoided by abstaining totally from alcohol and eating as lightly as possible during the flight, preferably on the schedule of mealtimes in the destination time zone.