Radiographic assessment of the response of teeth following trauma during screw placement for maxillo-mandibular fixation

Background/Aim Maxillo-mandibular fixation (MMF) screws have gained popularity in recent years for inter-maxillary fixation. MMF screw application involves the risk of dental injury. However, knowledge about the healing responses after root damage in humans is limited, thereby warranting the need to classify the radiographic assessment of healing to enable better prediction of the healing response and effective management of the potential complications. The aim of this study was to assess and classify the radiographic assessment of the responses after root damage to evaluate the long-term outcomes. Material and Methods The dental records of patients who underwent orthognathic surgery or trauma management during 2014-2016 at an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department were retrospectively analyzed. The data regarding dental injuries resulting from MMF screw application were evaluated. In total, 16 patients with 34 roots damaged from MMF screw application were enrolled. Post-operative orthopantomographs were analyzed by visual inspection of the affected areas to clarify the extent of root healing. The inter- and intra-rater reliability assessments were subsequently performed. Results The results indicated substantial inter- and intra-rater reliability of the responses. Most cases of root damage that were not radiographically related to the pulp (Schulte-Geers Class III defects) had complete or partial healing responses. In addition, 20% of the defects related to the pulp had additional resorption of the bone/dental tissues during the follow-up period. Conclusions Three different radiographic responses of root damage following MMF screw trauma were identified. Understanding these different responses is important to guide the management of the potential complications. This proposed radiographic assessment can be used to present root healing data in a more standardized and reliable manner.