Dentists' Role in Treating Facial Injuries Sustained in the 2008 Earthquake in China : How Dental Professionals Can Contribute to Emergency Response

ABSTRACTBackgroundA major earthquake struck Sichuan province, China, on May 12, 2008, and the authors were involved in the medical response to the disaster in Jiangyou City, an area hard-hit by the quake. In this article, they analyze data about the earthquake-related facial injuries and assess dentistry's role in treating them.MethodsThis descriptive study included review of medical records for 4,582 patients with earthquake-related trauma at eight hospitals in Jiangyou, a city severely affected by the earthquake, for the day of the disaster and the 14 days immediately afterward.ResultsOf the 4,582 patients, 408 (8.9 percent) sustained a total of 482 facial injuries. The dental team treated patients with facial injuries and others who needed care.ConclusionsFacial injuries constitute a significant portion of earthquake-related trauma, and dentists therefore are an important part of the medical team that deals with such trauma. Dentists are a reliable force in the medical response to earthquakes and other disasters.Clinical ImplicationsThe dental team should play an important role in disaster response. Establishing oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS)/dentist reserves and active leagues that use OMSs' and general dentists' offices as bases can help improve disaster response.