ABSTRACT
Since the Second World War, interpersonal violence has overtaken road traffic collisions (RTCs) to become the most common cause of maxillofacial injuries. A study of facial injuries in the UK found that half were caused by assaults, 19% by playing sports, 16% by RTCs, 11% by falls and 2% by industrial accidents.1 Home Office statistics record that violent crime against the person more than doubled between 1974 and 1990, and it continues to rise.
