How the simplest dental implant procedure can trigger an extremely serious complication

Floor of the mouth hemorrhage subsequent to dental implant placement in the anterior mandible

Complications in dental implant surgery are possible. Bleeding complications have been described that may be serious, particularly in the floor of the mouth. We present two cases of sublingual hematomas during dental implant osteotomies that impeded but did not close the airway. The clinical courses of these patient’s complications are reviewed. One patient had immediate hematoma formation while the other developed a hematoma overnight, presenting the next day. The treatment rendered was a precautionary in-hospital tracheotomy for the first patient and only compression control for the second. Bleeding complications during dental implant placement in the anterior mandible can be serious issues. There is a potential for sublingual hematoma that could compromise the airway by pressing the tongue against the soft palate into the pharynx. In-hospital treatment may be necessary to prevent an adverse outcome. It must be noted that a hematoma in the submandibular space is life threatening by direct airway compression.

Anterior Mandibular Lingual Defect As a Possible Cause of Near-Fatal Bleeding During Routine Dental Implant Surgery: A Retrospective Computed Tomography Study

INTRODUCTION

The anterior mandible is generally regarded as a safe anatomical region for implant placement. However, anatomical variations may lead to severe intraoperative complications with potential fatal outcome. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anterior mandibular lingual defect (AMLD) in patients undergoing implant surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The CT data of 338 consecutive dental implant patients were reformatted with appropriate software. The AMLDs were first identified using 3-D reconstruction and further evaluated in the relevant 2-D slices.

RESULTS

The AMLD was present in 10.95% of patients; of these, 83.8% were present bilaterally. No significant differences were found between sex, age, or race within the investigated population with regards to the presence of the AMLD.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of an AMLD might be a possible cause of near-fatal bleeding during routine dental implant surgery. This study found the presence of the AMLD in a small (10.95%), but not negligible number of patients. To avoid possible complications, meticulous planning and the use of 3-D imaging are advisable before performing implant surgery in this anatomical region.

Incidental findings of implant complications on postimplantation CBCTs: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Survival rates of dental implants are reported to be very high and seem to indicate minimal complications related to dental implants.

PURPOSE

The aim of this report was to evaluate in a cross-sectional study the prevalence of implant positioning complications as appears in postimplantation Cone-Beam Computerized Tomography (CBCT) in two of the major imaging facilities in Bucharest, Romania.

METHODS

Demographic and implant data was collected from two of the three main CBCT facilities in Bucharest, Romania. All postimplantation CBCT imaging were assessed and evaluated for the presence of different implant positioning related complications. Data were entered into Excel spreadsheet and analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

Of the 2323 CBCT's that were analyzed, a total of 160 (6.89%) presented with implant positioning related complications. Out of those, 62 cases revealed penetration of the implant to adjacent anatomic structure. More specifically, there were 21 instances of sinus penetration, 19 instances of nasal cavity penetration, 9 instances of inferior alveolar canal penetration, and 13 instances of lingual plate perforations. There were also 15 cases of adjacent tooth injury noted.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the popularity of dental implants, the surgical placement of these implants is not a riskless procedure. Implant mal-positioning might be life-threatening and can lead to serious bleeding, airway obstruction, and unnecessary postoperative surgeries. Complications of dental implants are not obsolete and dental implant associated problems may not be apparent immediately. Surgeons must have proper training and use evidenced-based treatment planning in order to prevent dental implant complications.

Vital Life-Threatening Hematoma after Implant Insertion in the Anterior Mandible: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Dental implant insertion is considered a safe and reliable surgical procedure and severe complications are seldom reported. However, we present a case of a 52-year-old patient who attended our Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, with spreading hematoma in the floor of the mouth and acute airway obstruction after insertion of a dental implant in the anterior mandible. The hematoma was removed and submentally drained by a silicon drainage. However, the progressive swelling of the tongue and the floor of the mouth necessitated a temporary tracheotomy for three days. The review of the literature summarizes guidelines for prevention and management of this life-threatening complication.

Life-threatening hemorrhage associated with dental implant surgery: a review of the literature

OBJECTIVES

Life-threatening bleeding may occur during implant placement.

PURPOSE

The present review was conducted to evaluate the localization, the symptoms, and therapies of life-threatening bleedings associated with implant placement.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A literature review including 590 articles was performed in PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane database. Any article reporting on life-threatening bleeding was included which additionally reported on the site of implant surgery.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven cases were extracted. In the majority of the cases, bleeding occurred in the anterior interforaminal region. Aside local management stopping the bleedings, most cases required intubation or tracheotomy.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgeons must be aware of the risk of severe bleedings during implant surgery and should immediately refer patients to a specialized clinic in suspicious or proved cases.

Interforaminal hemorrhage during anterior mandibular implant placement: An overview

Implant surgery in mandibular anterior region may turn from an easy minor surgery into a complicated one for the surgeon, due to inadequate knowledge of the anatomy of the surgical area and/or ignorance toward the required surgical protocol. Hence, the purpose of this article is to present an overview on the: (a) Incidence of massive bleeding and its consequences after implant placement in mandibular anterior region. (b) Its etiology, the precautionary measures to be taken to avoid such an incidence in clinical practice and management of such a hemorrhage if at all happens. An inclusion criterion for selection of article was defined, and an electronic Medline search through different database using different keywords and manual search in journals and books was executed. Relevant articles were selected based upon inclusion criteria to form the valid protocols for implant surgery in the anterior mandible. Further, from the selected articles, 21 articles describing case reports were summarized separately in a table to alert the dental surgeons about the morbidity they could come across while operating in this region. If all the required adequate measures for diagnosis and treatment planning are taken and appropriate surgical protocol is followed, mandibular anterior region is no doubt a preferable area for implant placement.