Evaluation of Removal Force in Prosthetic Components of Morse Taper Dental Implants.

The longevity of prosthetic rehabilitation is determined by the stability of the implant and abutment interfaces. True morse taper connections on dental restorations have been effective, however activation force still empirical. This work compared the activation strength and internal contact of Morse taper system according to the removal force. Eighty sets, composed of implants and prosthetic abutments, were evaluated with different internal contact areas; 15.12mm2 (G3.3) and 21.25mm2 (G4.3). The specimens were activated at 0° and 30°, with loads of 10, 20, 40 and 60N. The specimens were submitted to tensile test and the data to ANOVA and Tukey's tests (α=0.05). Representative specimens were examined under SEM. Removal force of G3.3 (2.15±1.33MPa) did not differed to G4.3 (1.99±1.03MPa). The activation at 0º (2.95±0.98MPa) statistically differed to 30º (1.19±0.54MPa). The 60N load was statistically superior for G3.3 and there was no statistical difference between 20N to 60N in G4.3. The values of 10N at 30o and 20N at the long axis of the morse taper implant, independent of the frictional contact area showed the best settlement.

Evaluation of Removal Force in Prosthetic Components of Morse Taper Dental Implants

Abstract The longevity of prosthetic rehabilitation is determined by the stability of the implant and abutment interfaces. True morse taper connections on dental restorations have been effective, however activation force still empirical. This work compared the activation strength and internal contact of Morse taper system according to the removal force. Eighty sets, composed of implants and prosthetic abutments, were evaluated with different internal contact areas; 15.12mm2 (G3.3) and 21.25mm2 (G4.3). The specimens were activated at 0° and 30°, with loads of 10, 20, 40 and 60N. The specimens were submitted to tensile test and the data to ANOVA and Tukey's tests (α=0.05). Representative specimens were examined under SEM. Removal force of G3.3 (2.15±1.33MPa) did not differed to G4.3 (1.99±1.03MPa). The activation at 0º (2.95±0.98MPa) statistically differed to 30º (1.19±0.54MPa). The 60N load was statistically superior for G3.3 and there was no statistical difference between 20N to 60N in G4.3. The values of 10N at 30o and 20N at the long axis of the morse taper implant, independent of the frictional contact area showed the best settlement.

Resumo A longevidade da reabilitação protética é determinada pela estabilidade das interfaces implante e pilar. Conexões de cone Morse em restaurações dentárias têm se mostrado eficazes, porém a força de ativação ainda é empírica. Este trabalho comparou a força de ativação e contato interno do sistema cone Morse de acordo com a força de remoção. Oitenta conjuntos, compostos por implantes e pilares protéticos, foram avaliados com diferentes áreas de contato interno; 15,12mm2 (G3.3) e 21,25mm2 (G4.3). Os corpos-de-prova foram ativados a 0° e 30°, com cargas de 10, 20, 40 e 60N. Os corpos de prova foram submetidos ao ensaio de tração e os dados aos testes ANOVA e Tukey (α=0,05). Espécimes representativos foram examinados em MEV. A força de deslocamento do G3.3 (2,15±1,33MPa) não diferiu do G4.3 (1,99±1,03MPa). A ativação a 0º (2,95±0,98MPa) diferiu estatisticamente para 30º (1,19±0,54MPa). A carga de 60N foi estatisticamente superior para G3.3 e não houve diferença estatística entre 20N a 60N no G4.3. Os valores de 10N em 30o e 20N no longo eixo do implante cone morse, independente da área de contato friccional apresentaram o melhor assentamento.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 as a Possible Cause of Severe Orbital Cellulitis.

ABSTRACT: Infection by severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (coronavirus disease 2019) has been the most important public health event of the last 100 years. The number of cases and deaths caused by this disease, its potential to rapidly spread and the search for a vaccine have been the center of discussion all over the world for over 1 year. In addition to the number of cases and all social, economic, and public health consequences of the pandemic, the variety of symptoms and clinical signs presented by infected patients has been subject of several studies and case reports. At the time of this writing, even with promising research, the clinical outcome of some patients is still unpredictable. The purpose of this article is to report an unusual case, the diagnostic process, and early treatment of this severe and atypical clinical picture. The patient is a young man diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 who sought our hospital in Southern Brazil reporting a history of pansinusitis progressing to a severe orbital cellulitis, requiring immediate surgical intervention.

Oral Surgery in Patients With Sturge-Weber Syndrome.

ABSTRACT: The Sturge-Weber syndrome (SSW) is a congenital neurocutaneous malformation, with angiomas involving the leptomeningea and facial skin. This syndrome is characterized by corticocerebral angiomatosis, cerebral calcifications, ocular affections, mental retardation, increased risk of stroke, counterlateral hemiplegia, and seizures. Another important feature of SSW is the flameus nevus on the face. In the oral cavity, SSW appears as hemangiomatous lesions affecting the mucous membranes and occasionally the dental pulp. Gingival hyperplasia may be present due to the use of anticonvulsant drugs. The present article reports the management of 2 female patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome who required oral surgery in regions affected by hemangiomatous lesions. In the first case, no hemostatic agents were necessary. On the other hand, the second case required the use of several hemostatic agents to control hemorrhage during surgery. Both patients recovered uneventfully without episodes of bleeding or infection.

Three-dimensional alterations in pharyngeal airspace, soft palate, and hyoid bone of class II and class III patients submitted to bimaxillary orthognathic surgery: A retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate changes in pharyngeal airway space (PAS), soft palate, and hyoid bone position after bimaxillary orthognathic surgery in skeletal Class II and Class III patients. METHODS: Patients were divided into Group 1: Class III patients who underwent maxillary osteotomies and mandibular setback surgery (N = 43); and Group 2: Class II patients who underwent maxillomandibular advancement surgery (N = 36). Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were acquired one month before and six to eight months after orthognathic surgery. PAS area, volume and minimum axial area (MAA), soft-palate morphology, and hyoid bone position measurements obtained before and after orthognathic surgery were compared using the Gamma family test (p ≤ 0.10). RESULTS: In Class II group the maxillomandibular advancement surgery significantly increased the PAS area, volume, and MAA and significantly affected hyoid bone position and soft-palate morphology. In Class III group, maxillary osteotomies and mandibular setback also showed increase in PAS area, however without statistically significant values for most of the evaluated measurements. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that PAS and related structures are expected to be improved in Class II patients submitted to bimaxillary surgery, and they are not negatively affected by bimaxillary surgery in Class III patients.

Paciente acometido por Angina de Ludwig com grave progressão reabilitado com próteses dentárias: relato de caso / Pacient affected by Ludwig's Angina with serious progression rehabilitated with dental prosthetics: case report / Paciente acometido por Angina de Ludwig con grave progresión rehabilitado con prótesis dentales: reporte de caso

O objetivo deste trabalho é relatar e discutir um caso clínico de um paciente acometido por Angina de Ludwig que evoluiu gravemente para mediastinite. O paciente compareceu inicialmente ao Pronto Socorro do Hospital Universitário da Universidade Estadual de Londrina e após diagnóstico de Angina de Ludwig foi internado e tratado de forma emergencial. O tratamento foi multiprofisssional e constituiu-se em abordagem cirúrgica para descompressão dos tecidos, administração de antimicrobianos e remoção da causa da infecção. Mesmo após a primeira abordagem cirúrgica, o paciente evoluiu gravemente e houve a necessidade de reabordagem da região cervical e torácica. O paciente necessitou de um mês de internação hospitalar até que o quadro infeccioso fosse estabilizado. Após o incidente, o paciente se apresentava com baixa autoestima e com sua relação interpessoal afetada. Desta forma, foi encaminhado para a Clínica Odontológica Universitária da Universidade Estadual de Londrina onde foi reabilitado com prótese total superior e prótese parcial removível inferior a fim de devolver grande parte da função mastigatória, estética e, consequentemente, qualidade de vida(AU)

The purpose of this study is to report and discuss a case of a patiente affected by Ludwig's angina that progressed severely to mediastinitis. The patient attended the Emergency Room at the University Hospital, State University of Londrina, and was admitted and treated in an emergencial manner. The treatment was multiprofessional and consisted in a surgical approach for tissue descompression, antibiotic administration and removal of the infection origin. Even after the first surgical approach, his clinical condition deteriorated and a new surgical intervention was necessary. The patient needed a 30-day hospital stay until the infection stabilization. After the incident, the patient had low self-esteem and his interpersonal relatioships were affected. Therefore, he was referred to the University Dental Clinic of the State University of Londrina where he was rehabilitated with an upper total prosthesis and a lower removable partial prosthesis. Treatment was able to recover masticatory and aesthetic funtion, and consequently, life quality(AU)

El objetivo de este trabajo es relatar y discutir un caso clínico de un paciente acometido por Angina de Ludwig que evolucionó gravemente a una mediastinitis. El paciente asistió al Pronto Socorro del Hospital Universitario de la Universidad Estatal de Londrina y tras el diagnóstico de Angina de Ludwig fue internado y tratado emergencialmente. El tratamiento fue multiprofesional y se constituyó en un abordaje quirúrgico para la descompresión de los tejidos, administración de antimicrobianos y eliminación de la causa de la infección. Incluso después del primer abordaje quirúrgico, el paciente evolucionó gravemente y hubo la necesidad de nueva abordaje de la región cervical y torácica. El paciente necesitó de un mes de internación hospitalaria hasta que el cuadro infeccioso se estabilizara. Después del incidente, el paciente se presentaba con baja autoestima y con sus relaciones interpersonales afectadas. De esta forma, fue encaminado a la Clínica Odontológica Universitaria de la Universidad Estadual de Londrina donde fue rehabilitado con prótesis total superior y prótesis parcial removible inferior a fin de devolver gran parte de la función masticatoria, estética y, consecuentemente, calidad de vida(AU)

A Rare Case of Gorlin-Goltz Syndrome in Children.

The Gorlin-Goltz syndrome, nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, or basal cell nevus syndrome is an autosomal dominant condition disorder with high variability expression. It presents a series of relevant clinical manifestations that suggest its diagnosis in cutaneous, bone, dental, soft tissue, nervous, and ocular system disorders. This condition requires a great interaction of several specialists to improve the patient's life. In this case, we presented a 9-year-old male patient referred to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery reporting failure in the normal chronology of dental eruption. After evaluation, it was observed that the patient had 13 typical characteristics of the syndrome, including keratocysts, bifid ribs, palmoplantar pits, and 10 other minor characteristics. In conclusion, the expression of so many features of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome is rare in infants, and early diagnosis is important to decrease morbidity and mortality associated with basal cell carcinomas.

Restabelecimento de espaço interoclusal através de osteotomia segmentar da maxila para viabilização de reabilitação protética ­ relato de caso / Restoration of the interocclusal space by segmental maxillary osteotomy for prosthetic rehabilitation viability ­ case report

A perda dentária, quando não tratada, pode causar consequências como más oclusões devido à extrusão dos dentes antagonistas, inclinação e migração de dentes adjacentes, ou até mesmo extrusão de todo o processo alveolar, que comprometem o espaço desdentado inviabilizando a reabilitação protética. Uma opção de tratamento rápido e eficaz é a cirurgia de impacção do segmento dentoalveolar por meio de osteotomia alveolar, usado para o restabelecimento de uma altura óssea adequada para a instalação de próteses ou implantes. Este trabalho tem por objetivo descrever a técnica cirúrgica de osteotomia segmentar da maxila por meio de um relato de caso clínico de envolvimento multidisciplinar entre cirurgiões bucomaxilofaciais e protesistas, no qual o paciente procurou atendimento para reabilitação protética, porém, apresentava diminuição do espaço protético vertical da região posterior da arcada dentária, o que impossibilitava a instalação de próteses. Sendo assim, foi proposta a cirurgia para levantamento do bloco maxilar extruído por meio de osteotomia maxilar em bloco, ostectomia regional, intrusão do bloco e osteossíntese do mesmo. O paciente foi encaminhado para a reabilitação protética necessária com prótese fixa e próteses parciais removíveis. A cirurgia de osteotomia segmentar da maxila permite restabelecer a distância interarcos, possibilitando, assim, a reabilitação protética. Dessa forma, o planejamento protético pré-cirúrgico é crucial para que a cirurgia seja bem indicada e o tratamento alcance os objetivos estéticos e funcionais esperados (AU).

Tooth loss can cause consequences when untreated, such as malocclusions due to extrusion of antagonist teeth, inclination and migration of adjacent teeth, or even extrusion of the entire alveolar process, which compromise toothless space making prosthetic rehabilitation unfeasible. The impaction surgery through alveolar osteotomy is a fast and effective treatment option able to restore a suitable bone height for the installation of prostheses or implants. This paper aims to describe the surgical technique of maxillary segmental osteotomy through a case report with multidisciplinary involvement between bucomaxillofacial surgeons and prosthetists. The patient sought care for prosthetic rehabilitation, but pre-sented lack of vertical space of the posterior region of the dental arch, which made impossible the installation of prostheses. Thus, the surgery for lifting the extracted maxillary block was proposed through maxillary block osteotomy, regional ostectomy, block intrusion, and osteosynthesis. At that time, patient was referred for the necessary prosthetic rehabilitation with fixed prosthesis and removable partial dentures. The segmental osteotomy of the maxilla allows reestablishing the interarch distance enabling the prosthetic rehabilitation. Pre-surgical prosthetic planning is crucial for the well indication of the surgery and the treatment achieves the expected aesthetic and functional goals (AU).

Use of a generic violet light in the surgical management of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws: a technical note.

PURPOSE: Fluorescence-guided surgery has been recommended for the diagnosis of bone margins in cases of mandibular osteonecrosis. In this article, we report a case in which a generic violet light was used in order to activate bone fluorescence after the administration of tetracycline derivatives, as an alternative to a specific, more expensive equipment that is commercially available for this purpose. The patient had been using alendronate for osteoporosis, resulting in medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws. METHODS: The treatment protocol includes preoperative administration of doxycycline and the application of a generic violet light during surgery in order to observe the fluorescence of bone in response to excitation through the light emitted by this device. RESULTS: With an effective visualization of the limit between healthy and devitalized bone tissue, it was possible to perform the necrotic tissue removal. The lesion regressed from stage 2 to stage 0, with no clinical or radiographic evidence of necrotic bone. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest the feasibility of using a generic violet light source as a low-cost alternative for fluorescence-guided surgery.

Can a Facial Injury Severity Scale Be Used to Predict the Need for Surgical Intervention and Time of Hospitalization?

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate whether the Facial Injury Severity Scale (FISS), proposed by Bagheri et al in 2006, can predict intervention needs in the operating room (OR), length of hospital stay, and need for support by other specialties. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were collected from the medical records of trauma patients from a public tertiary hospital between January 2009 and December 2015, related to age, gender, comorbidities, habits, history of maxillofacial trauma, etiology, and presence and location of fractures and lacerations, in addition to type of treatment performed and period of hospitalization. A score was applied to each patient according to the FISS. Adjusted multinomial logistic regression models were generated, and all analyses were performed with the SPSS statistical package (version 17.0; IBM, Armonk, NY). RESULTS: The final sample consisted of 469 medical records. The mean age was 31.38 ± 14.13 years. Traffic accidents were the most frequent cause of trauma (41.2%), followed by interpersonal violence (29.4%). The most commonly fractured bone was the mandible (32.9%), and the mandibular angle was the most affected region (29.0%). Reports of alcohol intake resulted in a 100% increase in the need for treatment of fractures in the OR. Patients with FISS scores greater than 5 presented with 18 times the chance of needing intervention in the OR and a greater possibility of hospitalization longer than 3 days (P < .01). The mean length of hospital stay was 8.14 ± 6.02 days, with a statistically significantly longer hospitalization period for smokers (P < .0001). Patients with any type of comorbidity were more likely to require support from other specialties (P = .022), and those with FISS scores greater than 5 were 6.6 times more likely to need this support (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Higher FISS scores may predispose patients to a longer hospitalization time, a greater chance of undergoing surgical procedures, and a greater need for follow-up by other medical specialties.

Management of Blowout Fracture With Support of Video Endoscopy in a Pediatric Patient.

Pure orbital fractures have the tendency to occur on medial wall and orbital floor; because these points are more fragile, the endoscopy can be utilized for accomplishing the task of repositioning the herniated content, as well as serving as an additional tool, helping to view the orbital defects through a transantral approach. The presented case is a female patient, 12 years old, who was diagnosed as having a pure blowout fracture, on right orbital floor, type trapdoor, with orbital content herniated toward the maxillary sinus. It was realized that a surgical procedure for reduction of orbital content through video endoscopy, via antral, allowed a great viewing of soft and hard structures, checking the positioning of implants and its relation with the orbital cavity, enabling installing through a small surgical access and minimum detachment, and favoring postoperative recovery.

Postoperative Delirium Following Orthognathic Surgery in a Young Patient.

Delirium is an organic mental syndrome with acute onset characterized by diffuse brain dysfunction and neural activity disorganization. It is usually related to cognition and perception changes, decreased level of consciousness, and disorganization of thoughts that are unrelated to previous dementia. Occurrence is more frequent in patients with previous degenerative disease and elderly patients, especially those older than 85 years. Although the pathophysiology is not totally known, studies have shown that, among the main factors that lead to delirium, the drugs used for general anesthesia induction are the most relevant (hypnotics, anticholinergic drugs, and H2 receptor blockers), especially those used in long surgical procedures. This report describes the case of a 24-year-old woman with a noncontributory medical and psychological history. She underwent bimaxillary orthognathic surgery with a total general anesthesia time of 7 hours. Postoperatively, she developed agitation, confusion, and delirium. After a psychiatry consult and discussion with the anesthesia team, the diagnosis of psychotic break owing to late postoperative delirium was established.

Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Hard Palate in a Young Patient.

Carcinomas of salivary glands are rare and can affect major or minor salivary glands. Among them, the mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most prevalent and its occurrence in the first 2 decades of life is highly unusual. Their common clinical aspect to different diseases is a challenge in diagnosis. The objective of this work is to elucidate the diagnosis of lesion in the hard palate of an adolescent patient, brown-skinned, male, forwarded to the oral surgery department at the State University of Londrina. Initially, he complained about a progressive swelling in the last 60 days. Through computed tomography scan, it was noted intraosseous involvement in the maxilla involving dental apex of the elements 13, 14, 15, right maxillary sinus extending to piriform sinus. Proceeding with clinical examination, followed by biopsy, histology, and immunohistochemical analysis, we established the diagnosis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. After verification, the patient was sent to the referenced service to start cancer treatment.

Traumatic Dysgeusia, an Unusual Complication of Facial Trauma: A Case Report.

The chemical senses of taste and smell are important to human life, because they play an important role in detecting potential environmental hazards. Humans can identify countless different flavors by the simultaneous perception of taste and smell. Reports of sensory loss after craniocerebral trauma began to appear in the medical literature in the middle 1800s. Dysgeusia associated with head injuries is rare and its reported incidence is 0.4 to 0.5%. This report describes the clinical case of a 32-year-old man with Le Fort I and III fractures treated with surgical reduction and fixation. The patient presented with dysgeusia after slight improvement of his preoperative anosmia. The prognosis is favorable and the treatment is prospective.

Use of resorbable screws for autogenous onlay block graft fixation: a histological analysis in rabbits.

The aim of the present in vivo study is to histologically evaluate and compare the use of resorbable screws based on poly(L-co-D,L lactide) 70:30 for fixation of autogenous bone grafts in rabbit tibiae. As control group, titanium (Ti-6Al-4V Grade V) screws were used. For this purpose, 15 white New Zealand male rabbits, aged 6 months and weighing between 3.8 and 4.5 kg, were used. From each animal, 2 total-thickness bone grafts were removed from the cranial vault: one was stabilized with a resorbable screw while the other was stabilized with a metallic one. Animals were divided into 3 groups, according to the sacrifice period: 3, 8, and 16 weeks postoperatively. After histological processing, cuts were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and submitted for descriptive histological analysis under light microscopy. It was found that the fixation system based on the polymer showed a histological behavior similar to metallic screws. For both groups, the bone graft was incorporated, with the presence of bone formation between the graft and receptor site. In none of the groups were undesirable inflammatory responses or foreign body reactions observed. Based on histological findings and on this experimental model, it is possible to conclude that the internal fixation system based on the poly(L-co-D,L lactide) 70:30 polymer is effective for fixation of autogenous bone grafts, with results that are comparable to the titanium fixation system.

Odontoma complexo de grande proporção em ramo mandibular: relato de caso / Large proportion of complex odontoma in mandibular ramus: case report

Introdução: O odontoma é o tumor odontogênico mais comum, sendo considerado também como hamartoma. Sua classificação é baseada na morfologia apresentada, podendo ser classificado como composto, quando apresenta múltiplos dentículos, ou complexo, no caso de uma massa disforme. São geralmente diagnosticados em exames radiográficos de rotina e associados ao atraso no irrompimento dentário. Objetivo: Revisar a literatura acerca desse tipo de tumor odontogênico, bem como relatar o caso clínico de um paciente portador de odontoma complexo de grandes proporções envolvendo a região de ramo mandibular.

Introduction: The odontoma is the most common of the odontogenic tumor and is considered also by some author as a hamartoma. The classification is based on the morphology shown, may be compound when presenting multiple denticles or complex in the case of an amorphous mass. In most cases are asymptomatic and diagnosed by findings on routine radiographic exam, often associated with delayed tooth eruption. Objective:The aim of this article is to review the literature and report a case of a patient with complex odontoma involving the left mandibular ramus region.

Forame retromolar: sua repercussão clínica e avaliação de 35 mandíbulas secas / The retromolar foramen - the clinical implication and evaluation of 35 dry mandibles

Introdução: O forame retromolar, assim como o canal retromolar, são considerados variações anatômicas pouco frequentes, que se localizam na região de trígono retromolar. Seu conteúdo é derivado do nervo alveolar inferior juntamente com arteríolas e vênulas. Objetivo: Chamar a atenção dos Cirurgiões-Dentistas quanto à importância clínica do forame retromolar e seu canal, por meio da avaliação de sua incidência em mandíbulas secas. Material e método: Foram analisadas 35 mandíbulas quanto à presença do forame retromolar e a sua relação com o terceiro molar ou o último dente da arcada, o lado do forame e a distância entre este e a língula, o trajeto do canal, a dimensão do trígono retromolar e outras mensurações. Resultado: Das 35 mandíbulas incluídas no estudo, o forame retromolar foi encontrado em seis (17%), sendo que, em duas mandíbulas, o forame foi encontrado bilateralmente, totalizando oito forames retromolares. A presença desse forame não está relacionada com o último dente do arco, apesar da sua proximidade com essa região (8,99 mm); note-se que a média encontrada entre a distância do forame retromolar e a língula foi de 15,24 mm. Conclusão: Este estudo demonstra que o forame retromolar e o canal retromolar podem ser encontrados ocasionalmente na rotina clínica do Cirurgião-Dentista, explicando assim possíveis falhas nas técnicas anestésicas de bloqueio do nervo alveolar inferior, hemorragias durante procedimentos cirúrgicos e alterações sensoriais nessa região no pós-operatório.

Background: The retromolar foramen as well as the retromolar canal are considered rare anatomical variations and are located in the region of retromolar area and their content is derived from the inferior alveolar nerve?s arterioles and venules. Objective: The aim of this work is to request the attention of dentists regarding the clinical importance of the retromolar foramen and retromolar canal through the evaluation of their presence in dry mandibles. Material and method: Thirty-five mandibles were analyzed for the presence of the retromolar foramen and its relationship with  the third  or last  molar  tooth  of the arch. In addition, the distance between  foramen and  lingula,  the canal  route,  and the size of the  retromolar were evaluated, and other measurements were made. Result: In all mandibles included  in this study, the  retromolar  foramen  was found in  6 (17%). In two mandibles, the foramen was found bilaterally, totaling 8 retromolar foramen. The presence of this foramen is not related to the last tooth arch despite its proximity with this region (8.99 mm); the average distance between the retromolar foramen and lingula was 15.24 mm. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that retromolar foramen and retromolar canal can be found occasionally in routine dental surgery and could explain failures in block anesthesia of inferior alveolar nerve, bleeding during surgical procedures and sensory changes in this region in the postoperative period.

Submental endotracheal intubation as an alternative to tracheostomy in selected cases of facial fracture: literature review and technique report.

Intermaxillary fixation (IMF) is an essential guide to optimize the reduction and fixation of most facial fractures associated with occlusal alterations. To allow IMF, nasotracheal intubation is used in most cases. When nasotracheal intubation is not possible, a tracheostomy may be indicated, but this carries significant morbidity. Submental endotracheal intubation allows IMF to be used without resorting to nasal intubation or tracheostomy, and it does not interfere with reduction and fixation of fractures in most cases. The purpose of this article is to describe the indications, contraindications and the technique of submental endotracheal intubation as performed in our service.