Oral Surgery · single question
If a needle breaks during an Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block (IANB), what is the IMMEDIATE next step?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Refer to oral surgeon
✓ B) Refer to oral surgeon is correct.
If a needle breaks during IANB: (1) IMMEDIATE STEP: DO NOT PANIC — keep the patient calm, do NOT attempt blind retrieval (makes it worse); (2) if the fragment is visible and accessible → retrieve with a hemostat; (3) if not visible → refer to an oral surgeon for surgical removal. CBCT or panoramic imaging may be ordered by the oral surgeon for localization. Referring to ENT is inappropriate — this is an oral/maxillofacial surgery problem. The key principle: do not attempt blind probing/retrieval, which can drive the fragment deeper.
If a needle breaks during IANB: (1) IMMEDIATE STEP: DO NOT PANIC — keep the patient calm, do NOT attempt blind retrieval (makes it worse); (2) if the fragment is visible and accessible → retrieve with a hemostat; (3) if not visible → refer to an oral surgeon for surgical removal. CBCT or panoramic imaging may be ordered by the oral surgeon for localization. Referring to ENT is inappropriate — this is an oral/maxillofacial surgery problem. The key principle: do not attempt blind probing/retrieval, which can drive the fragment deeper.