Can a broken nose make it hard to chew food?

Thank you for your question. A broken nose will certainly make it hard to chew food, however, after surgery, your healing nose should not make it difficult to chew food. Your face and mainly the middle of the face will be sensitive during the healing process, experiencing swelling and bruising for the first week after surgery. You should be able to chew food without difficulty or discomfort after the first week after surgery. Always feel free to contact your board certified facial plastic surgeon for further details as to your recovery protocol.Best wishes,

Hello dalarious,Thanks for your question.A broken nose can make it hard to chew if swelling gets in the way of lip function.Also, a broken nose can be associated with a broken palate (the bone in the roof of the mouth) which then can cause pain with chewing.Because the nose is in the center of the face, any trauma to it could create trauma to structures around it.If the chewing problems persist, I would recommend that you see a specialist in facial trauma (plastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon, oral-maxillofacial surgeon, dentist) for a closer exam and possibly x-rays.Good luck,Dr. Shah

  A broken nose should not have any effect on the chewing muscles of mastication. A broken nose is typically treated with a rhinoplasty to reset the nasal bone straight. It's also important to evaluate the septum to make sure that it's not been fractured as well which requires a septoplasty procedure.  For many examples of straightening a broken nose, please see the video and the link below

To the extent that taste is largely influenced by ones' sense of smell, yes. As far as the actual mechanics of chewing, if there are associated fractures of the palate or the mid-facial bones, then ones chewing could be effected. I recommend that you have a thorough evaluation with a qualified Plastic Surgeon ASAP because facial bone fractures must be fixed within 2 weeks of the date of injury or things become much more complex. Good luck!