Impact of covid 19 pandemic on oral & maxillofacial trauma

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the impact COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of oral and maxillofacial fractures.
Materials and Methods: We designed a retrospective study and enrolled a sample of 554 subjects who presented for oral and maxillofacial fractures (OMF) between April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020 and April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. The primary variable was the evaluation of OMF before COVID 19 (2019-20: Control group) & during the period of COVID 19 (2020-21: Experimental group). The primary outcome variables were the facial fracture diagnosis, the abbreviated injury scale (AIS), injury severity score (ISS), and the mechanism of injury.
Results: The number of subjects presenting with OMF was lower during the period of pandemic (n = 147 in 2020-21) than during the periods before (n = 407 in 2019-20). During the period of social distancing, there were more individuals who presented secondary to assault, whereas fewer secondary to Road traffic accidents & falls. On average, those who presented in 2020-21 had more severe oral and maxillofacial injuries.
Conclusions: Our study found that during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of OMF cases decreased but the severity of oral and maxillofacial and overall injuries was higher.