1998 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 79-81
A clinicostatistical study was performed in Seventy-three children who had suffered oral and maxillofacial soft tissue injury with no hard tissue injury. Seventy-three children were classified into four developmental stages. The developmental stages were infancy (0-1 years old), preschool age (1-6 years old), school age (6-12 years old), and adolescense (12-16 years old).
Seventy-eight percent of the children were infants or preschool age. The ratio of boys to girls was 1: 1 in infancy, 2: 1 in preschool age, 8: 1 in school age, and 6: 1 in adolescence. Accidents during preschool age occurred primarily in the evening and night, but accidents during infantcy happened at all times. Falls were the most frequent cause of injury during infancy and preschool age. In school age and adolescense, some injuries were caused by blows and sports, similar to adults. The most frequent locations of soft tissue injury in infants were the tongue and frenulum of the upper lip. In preschool age, the most frequent sites of injury were the palate and tongue. In school age and adolescence, the most frequent site was the facial skin.
