Introduction:

The rupture of a dental needle is an uncommon complication and usually happens due to the sudden movement and / or unexpected oral closure of the patient, by bending the needle improperly, by inserting it completely or moving it into the soft tissue, by choosing needles of inadequate caliber and length and by performing inappropriate anesthetic techniques. When the needle cannot be recovered instantly, its three-dimensional imaging location must be established and handling decided. In such a situation, its surgical elimination is the most recommended proposal due to the possibility of migrating and injuring important anatomical structures.

Objective:

Conduct a literature review and present a clinical case of dental needle rupture located in the pterygomaxillary space, resolved with a lateropharyngeal intraoral approach.

Case presentation:

An 8-year-old male patient, who comes to the consultation for a ruptured dental needle. To obtain its location, a cone-beam computed tomography with three-dimensional reconstruction was used at closed and open mouth. This test offered greater precision and anatomical correspondence, considering that surgical removal could be performed by an intraoral approach. This was done and during the surgical intervention it was noticed that the needle had migrated to an upper and posterior location, to the pterygomaxillary space. Faced with this situation, his recovery was more complex, in addition to the one that this procedure represents by itself.

Conclusions:

Intraoral local anesthesia is not exempt from its own complications such as the rupture of the dental needle. When this event occurs, the result can be very difficult to manage.

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