Epidemiology of maxillofacial injury in children under 15 years of age in southern China.

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study was conducted to report the epidemiology of maxillofacial injuries of children <15 years old in China. STUDY DESIGN: Data collected in this study included age, sex, etiology, date of injury, anatomic site of injury, and treatment modality. Regarding treatment, conservative technique and surgery were both used. The analyses involved were descriptive statistics and χ(2) test. RESULTS: There were 335 men and 135 women, with a gender ratio of 2.48:1. Bicycle accident was the leading cause of injury. The common sites of soft tissue injury included gingiva, chin, lip, cheek, palate/pharynx, and tongue/mouth floor. In addition, the mandible was most involved in facial skeleton injury. Conservative treatment was generally preferred for such pediatric patients. CONCLUSIONS: Boys were prone to be victims of maxillofacial trauma. Preventive measures should be applied both indoors and outdoors. Patients in the growing phase should be monitored periodically to detect and prevent early facial asymmetry or malocclusion.