Is intraoperative navigation for needle breakage mandatory? A case report

Background and Overview: Needle breakage when administering local anesthetic in the oral cavity can be of major concern to both the patient and the dentist. Intraoperative navigation has become the most popular advanced imaging technique. Case Description: In this report, the authors describe a case of needle breakage during inferior alveolar nerve block for a dental procedure. Using preoperative imaging, the authors located the needle and removed it while the patient was under general anesthesia. The authors review studies and case reports similar to the pre- and intraoperative imaging modalities presented in their report. Conclusions and Practical Implications: Preoperative 3-dimensional imaging is sufficient for establishing the exact location of the broken needle, especially in cases in which potential migration is unlikely.