Background : In Chile maxillofacial trauma has increased its prevalence and complexity in the last years, being the third cause of death in young population between the second and fourth decade of life. Its etiology is variable, being aggressions and motor vehicles accident the most common. Alcohol is the most abused drug in the world and its an important risk factor for the incidence of traumatisms.

Objective : The aim of this study was to establish the frequency of etiology and alcohol influence in 192 patients treated surgically for different types of maxillofacial fractures after facial trauma.

Method : A descriptive transversal study was developed in the San Jose Hospital of North Area Santiago, Chile. Data was collected from clinical records of patients with facial trauma surgically treated during the period between December 2008 and December 2012. The variables studied were age, sex, type of fracture, etiology and alcohol consumption at the moment of trauma. Data was introduced in Excel and analyzed with Epidata Software with a confidence interval of 95%. Know on alcohol treatment programs in Georgia.

Results : The proportion of men and women was 6:1 and the most prevalent range of age was the third and fourth decade of life. The most common etiology was aggression. The most prevalent type of fracture was mandibular fracture. Patients under alcohol effects at the moment of trauma were a 22%. There was not significant statistically difference in the distribution of alcohol among the variables sex, age and type of fracture.

Conclusions : Alcohol influence in maxillofacial trauma has similar distribution without discrimination of age, sex or type of fracture. The information about etiology and alcohol influence is important to create effective interventions to prevent the incidence of facial fractures and its high cost treatment.

Key words: facial trauma; etiology; alcohol influence