Use of intraoperative navigation for minimally invasive retrieval of a broken dental needle

Abstract

This report describes a case of needle breakage during an inferior alveolar nerve block to perform a restorative dental procedure on a 13-year-old patient. The needle was removed in a minimally invasive fashion using a Medtronic StealthStation S7 surgical navigation system and custom interocclusal splint to allow for stable, identically repeatable positioning of the mandible. This report adds another example of the utility of image-guided surgery for the removal of foreign bodies from the head and neck region in a minimally invasive fashion.