Citation

Warburton AL, Shepherd JP. Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 2002; 31(6): 657-663.

Affiliation

Violence Research Group, Department of Oral Surgery Medicine and Pathology, Dental School, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1054/ijom.2002.0245

PMID

12521325

Abstract

The maxillofacial region is by far the most frequently selected target in assaults on adults. There is a causal link between alcohol intoxication and injury. Therefore, oral and maxillofacial surgery is, in effect, the lead speciality for those injured in violence and has a responsibility to orchestrate holistic care that takes into account mental health needs. Recent years have also seen a determined effort by oral and maxillofacial surgeons to get involved in wider issues of prevention, exemplified by the national UK BAOMS Facial Injuries Awareness Week. Multi-agency prevention, not just with mental health professionals in the case of individual patients, but also with emergency medicine, public health, local government, the police and the voluntary sector is key to success. Given the potential complexity of collaborations like this, it is important to understand what works in multi-agency prevention. This paper reviews successful interventions: their rationale and how oral and maxillofacial surgeons can contribute to local injury prevention.

Language: en