TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2013//
TI  - Patterns and trends in facial fractures in New Zealand between 1999 and 2009
JO  - New Zealand dental journal
A1  - Adsett, L.
A1  - Thomson, W. M.
A1  - Kieser, J. A.
A1  - Tong, D. C.
SP  - 142
EP  - 147
VL  - 109
IS  - 4
N2  - OBJECTIVES: To describe patterns and trends in facial fractures in New Zealand over a decade.     METHOD: A secondary analysis of Ministry of Health data on facial fractures occurring between 30 June 1999 and 1 July 2009. Patient demographic characteristics and the details of injury were analysed and described.     RESULTS: Over the study period, the incidence of injury was constant. A total of 26,637 facial fractures were recorded. Most (79%) occurred in males, giving a male-to-female ratio of 4:1. Peak injury rates for both males and females, coincide with the legal alcohol purchasing age. Interpersonal violence (IPV) was the leading cause of facial fractures, accounting for 38%; it increased steadily each year. The number of fractures attributed to sports/other, and road traffic accidents (RTA) had fallen. Māori still continue to experience a disproportionate rate of facial fractures, twice that of the NZ European population.     CONCLUSIONS: Interpersonal violence is an increasing problem in NZ and contributes to a greater number of facial fractures each year. More measures are required to reduce the number of IPV-related injuries. Perhaps the most effective would be to return the legal alcohol purchasing age to 20 years. More is also required to reduce facial fractures in the high-risk injury groups of young adults, males, and Māori.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0028-8047
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -