Maxillofacial trauma--developments, innovations and controversies.

Abstract

Despite seat belt and alcohol legislation, craniofacial trauma still remains a common health problem and significant workload in many maxillofacial units. Although management has evolved considerably from "wiring teeth together", complex fractures can still result in cosmetic and functional deformity. Today's challenge is to consistently restore patients back to their pre-injury form and function-but this is not always possible. Greater understanding and developments have significantly improved outcomes, although controversy still exists in some areas. This review outlines some of these topics.