Current, important information for all oral and maxillofacial surgeons! Management topics include mandibular angle fractures, atrophic mandible fractures, comminuted mandibular fractures, condylar process fractures, mandibular fractures in children, nasal fractures, orbital fractures, naso-orbital-ethmoidal fractures, frontal sinus fractures, parotid gland and duct injuries, facial bite wounds, and much more! Controversy can be defined as a dispute, generally with a right and a wrong side of the argument. Controversy can also be defined as a discussion marked by the expression of opposing views. The articles in this issue best fit this definition because, when there are different approaches to surgical management, it is often not a matter of right or wrong, but rather what the surgeon believes gives the best results. It is regrettable that in the treatment of many kinds of traumatic injuries of the maxillofacial region, too few randomized, controlled studies are available to supply strong supporting evidence for definitely selecting one surgical technique or procedure over another. Therefore, we have to rely upon expert opinion, as well as the literature, to guide us in the decision-making process. For this issue, we are fortunate to have recruited many experienced national and international oral and maxillofacial surgeons as authors. In preparing their contributions, they were asked to present the evidence from the literature on each side of an issue and to then suggest the method of treatment that, in their opinion, they considered most likely to provide the best outcomes. They are to be congratulated on admirably fulfilling this task and we thank them for their efforts. It is unfortunate that there are still so many controversial areas in the management of maxillofacial trauma. In this issue, we have chosen to address those involving situations most frequently encountered by the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. It is our hope that the information provided will either confirm those opinions that you now hold, or convince you to change when there appears to be a strong argument for doing so. Ultimately, the goal is to help provide the best care for our patients.
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