OBJECTIVE:

To identify the injuries of the bucomaxillofacial region related to violence problems in the city of Belém, Pará State, Brazil, from 2006 to 2010.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This is a cross-sectional descriptive study whose data collection was conducted at the Instituto Médico Legal in Belém. All the reports of individuals involved in violence, with consequent facial injuries from January 2006 to December 2010 (1,123 reports) were part of the database. Data were stored using a standardized form and then evaluated by descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman's correlation test (rs).

RESULTS:

Unmarried (69.58%), brown skin color (96.65%) and mean age about 31-year-old men were the majority victims (687/1,123) and also the main aggressors (56.77%). The most frequent lesions were found in soft tissues (lips, oral mucosa, tongue, others), with erosion, edema, ecchymosis, among others. The right side of the face (39.66%) was the most affected, there were 330 cases of dental fractures and 234 cases of dental avulsion. The upper front teeth were the most affected (66.05%). There was no correlation between the etiological agent and the lesion severity (rs = 0.2027).

CONCLUSION:

Facial traumatisms were more prevalent in unmarried men, aged between 14 and 35 years old. The most frequent lesions involved soft tissues with characteristics of erosion, ecchymosis, and edema, followed by dental lesions.

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