Epidemiology of traumatic maxillofacial injuries in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Maxillofacial injury, also called facial trauma, is a major public health problem, representing a group of injuries in which there is an external force that traumatically injures the face. They comprise hard tissue as well as soft tissue injuries that exhibit different patterns of clinical features based on the severity and mechanism of the trauma. Traumatic maxillofacial injuries not only are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Queensland, Australia, but also have negative effects on quality of life, functional status, and social functioning. Further, they have a range of economic impacts, including on health care costs, employability, productivity, and insurability. Thus, control, minimization, and prevention of traumatic maxillofacial injuries have immediate health effectiveness, and considerable economic benefits.