Psychiatric symptoms and pain in maxillofacial injury following motor vehicle accidents: A comparative study

Abstract

Annually, a significant number of people suffer maxillofacial injuries (MFI), 1-3 which include dental injuries. [4][5][6] Studies in different countries have reported that the prevalence of MFI has been in the range of 6%-30%. However, in most of these studies, a high prevalence of this type of injury has been reported. 3 In Iran, the rate of MFI following motor vehicle accidents (MVA) was significantly high, and it shows that despite better enforcement of traffic laws, better roads and vehicles, the pattern of this type of injury has not changed and a review of prevention protocols is needed. 7 The difficulty of treatment and the high cost of treatment of these cases is another issue. 2 The annual cost of treating these injuries is $US 2-5 million per million cases. 8 The functional, psychological, and social effects of MFI on the patient have been reported. 9 These injured people suffer from longterm and serious health problems due to the pain and the need for various plastic surgerical procedures in order to maintain their appearance and physical recovery. 5,10 Elderly people with facial trauma experience significant emotional, social, and functional disorders. 11 High simultaneous occurrence of concussion with a maxillofacial injury causes more severe consequences and increased length