Epidemiology of maxillofacial injuries in Ontario, Canada

The aims of this study were to 1) calculate rates for maxillofacial (MF) injury-related visits in emergency departments (EDs) and hospitals in Ontario, Canada, 2) identify and rank common causes for MF injuries, 3) investigate the variation and trends in MF injuries according to gender, age, and socioeconomic status, and 4) describe the geographic distribution of MF injuries.

An 8-year retrospective study design was implemented. The Discharge Abstract Database and the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System datasets were used. After examining demographic and diagnostic information, frequencies, percentages, and rates were calculated. Color-coded maps were created using ArcGIS to display the geographic distribution of MF injuries.

From 2004 through 2012, 1,457,990 ED visits and 41,057 hospitalizations occurred as a result of MF injury in Ontario. The mean age of patients for each ED visit was 30.6 years and for each hospitalization was 52.6 years. Rates of ED visits and hospitalizations owing to MF injury show a slight decrease during the 8-year period. MF injuries were most frequent in the evening, during the weekends, and during the summer. Falls were reported as the leading cause of MF injuries. Rural areas had higher rates of ED visits and hospitalizations.

This study highlighted the public health impact of MF injuries, offering policy makers important epidemiologic information, which is fundamental to formulate and optimize measures aimed at protecting Canadians from injuries that are largely predictable and preventable. Future injury prevention programs should enhance the population-based approach and focus on high-risk groups such as male youth and elderly women in low-income families.