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J Am Dent Assoc, Vol 140, No 5, 543-549.
© 2009 American Dental Association
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CLINICAL PRACTICE

Dentists’ Role in Treating Facial Injuries Sustained in the 2008 Earthquake in China

How Dental Professionals Can Contribute to Emergency Response



Lei Wang, PhD, DDS, Jian-hua Wei, PhD, DDS, Li-sheng He, PhD, DDS, Meng Cao, PhD, DDS, Jian Cao, DDS, Yan-pu Liu, PhD, DDS, De-lin Lei, DDS and Yi-min Zhao, PhD, DDS

Background. A 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.

Methods. This 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.

Results. Of 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.

Conclusions. Facial 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 Implications. The 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.

Key Words: Facial injuries; oral and maxillofacial surgery; dentistry; disasters; disaster planning

Abbreviations: ADA: American Dental Association. • AMA: American Medical Association. • CT: Computed tomography. • eCDLS: Electronic Core Disaster Life Support. • GCS: Glasgow Coma Scale. • NDLS: National Disaster Life Support. • NDLSEC: National Disaster Life Support Education Consortium. • OMS: Oral and maxillofacial surgeon. • ORAL: OMS/dentist Reserves and Active Leagues.






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