title: Dental injury after conventional direct laryngoscopy: a prospective observational study.
abstract: This observational study assessed the frequency and risk factors of dental damage after classic direct laryngoscopy for tracheal intubation in 536 adult patients. The patients' sex, age, height, weight, dental condition, dental mobility, Mallampati class, interincisor gap, thyromental distance, neck circumference, and head and neck extension were recorded. From anaesthesia records, the difficulty of intubation, the number of attempts, type of neuromuscular blocking agent used and duration of anaesthesia were recorded. After anaesthesia, examination revealed that 134 patients (25.0%) had dental damage affecting 162 teeth (147 maxillary; 15 mandibular). Enamel fracture was the commonest injury. In tooth number 21, the interincisor gap (OR 2.5 (95% CI 1.0-5.9)) and in tooth number 22, the number of intubation attempts (OR 5.3 (95% CI 1.3-22.0)) were considered a risk factor for dental injury. Conventional direct laryngoscopy is associated with a strikingly high incidence of dental damage, although specific risk factors remain unclear.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oporto, Oporto, Portugal; Department of Anaesthesia, Centro Hospitalar São João, EPE, Oporto, Portugal.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mourão
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luís
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tavares
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009333:Neck / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018401:Sample Size; D018677:Tooth Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D014086:Tooth Mobility; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents