INTRODUCTION: Violence has increased alarmingly in Latin America as a result of an increase in crime rates, road accidents, violent sports, lack of security at work, inadequate housing conditions and leisure activities. Within this overall picture, Dentistry also plays a role regarding traumatology. By means of emergency services and maxillo-facial units, dental surgeons assist several cases a within complex casuistry. There are no studies available based on a population and epidemiological approach. OBJECTIVE: To study morbidity observed in hospital and emergency units, by sex, age, diagnosis and external cause of injuries. METHOD: Institutions with general dental emergency care and facial traumatology services were selected based on government data sources (SIA-SUS and SIH-SUS) for alternate months of 1996 and 1997. The government service network was mapped by means of questionnaires. A single-stage cluster sample was prepared, covering 5% of all care delivered at the 21 institutions involved. RESULTS: More than half (57%) of care delivered for dental emergencies was related to common dental accurrences, and 34% to oral and maxillo-facial trauma; in that, most patients are young males, presenting a similar profile to that found in mortality due to external causes. CONCLUSION: This analysis showed a society that has yet to deal with basic problems, such as dental caries and periodontal diseases, and it already shows the impact of injuries due to external causes. Undestanding injuries related to external causes is fundamental for prevention planning as well as care planning. In the group injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes the higher number os cases is evident for males and youth. There are more cases of severe diagnoses, such as fractures and wounds, than superficial injuries. Head injury and superficial injuries show a more equitable distribution by sex than in the group of facial fractures, wich are more likely to involve males. The proportional distribution by causes is similar in both sexes, but females are less exposed to injuries due to external causes.
Maxillo facial injuries; Dental care; Public hospitals; Morbidity surveys
