Surgical extraction of a sublingually-displaced retained root with the aid of a magnetic field-based dynamic navigation system: a case study

• Published in: Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Vol. 50; no. 6; pp. 367 - 372
• Main Authors: Nam, Yoo-Sung, Lee, Seung-Eun, Che, Sung-Ah, Park, Sang-Yoon, Byun, Soo-Hwan, Yang, Byoung-Eun, Yi, Sangmin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 31.12.2024; 대한구강악안면외과학회
• Subjects: Case Report; 치의학; Minimally invasive surgical procedures; Tooth extraction; Surgical navigation systems
• ISSN: 2234-7550; 2234-5930
• DOI: 10.5125/jkaoms.2024.50.6.367

The submandibular displacement of a mandibular third molar residual root presents major challenges to oral and maxillofacial surgeons due to the proximity to critical anatomical structures such as the lingual nerve and sublingual artery. Preoperative imaging can approximate the location of the residual tooth root; however, accurately determining its exact position is difficult because of the dynamic nature of the mandible and the difficulty of real-time synchronization of imaging. This study presents the successful extraction of a residual mandibular third molar root in a 67-year-old female patient achieved using a magnetic field-based navigation system. The sublingually-displaced residual root was localized using the navigation system, marked using a virtual implant placement, and positioned by a hand piece using synchronized real-time sensor data. The root was successfully removed with a minimally-invasive approach. No complications occurred postoperatively, and follow-up showed no major issues. Due to the small size of the marker, ease of calibration, and independence from visual obstacles, magnetic field-based navigation systems are a promising tool for the removal of residual roots displaced into adjacent soft tissue.