Displacement of maxillary third molar into the infratemporal fossa. A case report.

Our study aims to present a new case of maxillary third molar dislodgement into the infratemporal fossa during the effort of extraction and the surgical approach performed to retrieve the tooth. Guidelines to prevent this complication are presented. We describe a new case of maxillary third molar displacement into the infratemporal fossa following an unsuccessful surgical procedure of tooth removal by a general dentist. The location of the displaced tooth was confirmed with computed tomography (CT) scanning with a 3D reconstruction. The tooth was removed under general anesthesia through an intraoral approach. It took less than 10 min for the whole procedure to be accomplished. CT examination is of paramount importance to precisely locate the dislodged tooth. Removal can be successfully accomplished via an intraoral approach with meticulous manipulations. An incision of adequate length and a long Langebeck retractor are valuable to ensure a wide surgical field.

Ten-year developmental-evolution of a solitary osteoma of the mandibular ramus: Report of a case and short review.

Osteomas of the maxilla and the mandible are rare, benign, and slow-growing tumors arising from the bone cells. They are more frequently located on the mandible than the maxilla, with mandibular body, angle, and condyle being more frequently affected. The development of a peripheral osteoma at the mandibular ramus is a rare occurrence, and few cases have been published in English literature. Even though the developmental process of this pathologic entity is characterized as slow growing, little data are known about the developmental rate of the peripheral osteomas of the mandible. In our paper, we present a case of peripheral osteoma of the external surface of the right mandibular ramus that was diagnosed 10 years earlier; its dimensions were measured precisely at that time with CT. The patient declined a surgical operation, and 10 years after the initial diagnosis, she visited our department with an increase in the size of the lesion and asked for a re-evaluation. A new CBCT was performed, and accurate measurement of the new dimensions of the lesion was conducted; this was compared with the previous dimensions. The comparison of the current CBCT with the CT performed 10 years earlier permitted to calculate the growth rate of osteoma that was approximately 2.0 mm/year.