[Professional development of oral and maxillofacial trauma since the founding of the People's Republic of China].

Oral and maxillofacial trauma surgery in modern China has experienced four stages of growth in different social and economic backgrounds: initiation, stagnation, exploring and development. It is now an important branch of oral and maxillofacial surgery with unique Chinese characteristics. This paper retrospectively summarizes the representative figures and important events, as well as the research and technology advances in each of the four growth stages. It also includes an analysis of current advantages and problems, and provides some foresights for future development of this subspecialty in China.