Traumatic dental injury.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of traumatic dental injury and consequential dental impairment following road traffic accidents and to examine the factors that can affect the monetary value of compensation for bodily injury payable pursuant to current insurance regulations. METHODS: From 2004 to 2014, 7233 persons involved in road traffic accidents in the province of Messina, eastern Sicily, were examined by insurance physicians to assess bodily injury damage. Data were collected from cases of traumatic dental injury causing malocclusion and temporomandibular joint dysfunction, either alone or concomitant with injuries to other parts of the body. Injury characteristics and consequential bodily injury damage were classified and the incidence calculated using Microsoft Excel software. RESULTS: The incidence of traumatic dental injuries was 3% of the total population (195 subjects - 127 males and 68 females); the majority of cases (56%) involved riders of two-wheeled vehicles. A high percentage of riders received injury to one or more teeth, i.e. fractures and dislocations, more frequently to the anterior teeth (68%) than the posterior teeth because of their position in the dental arch. Temporomandibular joint injuries were far fewer (8%) and resulted from either direct or indirect trauma associated with severe head and/or neck injury. The incidence of permanent bodily damage consequential to these injuries was fairly low. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence of dental trauma following road traffic accidents is low, the monetary compensation for consequential dental impairment based on current insurance regulatory law is far from negligible.

Treatment cost of patients with maxillofacial fractures at the University Hospital in Mostar 2002-2006.

The aim of this study was to establish the costs structure of medical treatment for the patients with maxillofacial fractures, to perform a treatment cost evaluation, describe the factors which considerably influence the costs and discover the ways of achieving financial savings in treated patients. The study group consisted of patients with maxillofacial fractures who were admitted and treated at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery of the University Hospital Mostar in the period from January 2002 until December 2006. Data for the study were collected from the patients' databases, case histories and data obtained on the basis of individual payments for the treatment that was collected by Finance Department of the University Hospital of Mostar Most patients in this study were men (83%), of average age 34 +/- 19 years. Zygomatic bone fracture was the commonest injury. Open surgical procedure was performed in 84.7% of treated cases. The costs for the open procedure were considerably higher than conservative treatment. Medication cost made up a total of 37.9% and cost of hospital accommodation 27.3% out of total hospital charge. Cost reduction in treated patients with maxillofacial fractures should be achieved through protocols of urgent treatment of maxillofacial trauma patients immediately after sustaining an injury and with earlier discharge of the patients when postoperative complications are not expected.