Role of Imaging in Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma

Injury to the face can occur to include the dentition or maxillofacial skeleton in isolation, or in combination with neck, multisystem, or cranial fractures. The causes of maxillofacial trauma are diverse and majority of them are due to motor vehicle accidents, falls and assaults. Facial injury may range from simple laceration to craniofacial disjunction with severe soft tissue damage. Management of facial injuries is challenging for the clinician as they are often complex in nature and may have serious functional and cosmetic sequelae. This makes accurate diagnostic evaluation essential. Single or combinations of conventional plain films form baseline radiographic screening assessment for the investigation of facial fractures.