ABSTRACT
Pediatric facial trauma patients differ from adults with similar injuries in several ways. First, the pediatric patient has the advantage of an accelerated ability to heal with a minimum of complications, especially in the well-vascularized tissues of the face. Second, through growth and the inherent ability of the child to adapt, recovery of damaged orofacial tissues can be maximized and loss of function can be minimized. Despite these advantages, certain characteristics of the pediatric facial trauma patient must be kept in mind. These include the anatomy of the immature face, the facial injury patterns from mechanisms typical of the pediatric patient, and the potential effect of trauma on growth, which makes long-term follow-up of these patients mandatory. Because of these factors, children with facial trauma cannot be managed in the same way as adults.
