Introduction: Comprehensive reports concerning selective embolization for arterial bleeding from third molar removal have not been published. We analyzed cases of arterial bleeding from third molar extraction that required transarterial embolization, and we demonstrate representative cases.
Methods: Five consecutive patients (three men and two women, aged 24 to 37 years) who underwent transarterial embolization at our institution were included in this study. Four of them showed postoperative bleeding after lower third molar removal, and one suffered bleeding after upper third molar extraction. The period of time from extraction to embolization varied from 5 h to 5 weeks.
Results: Angiography revealed pseudoaneurysms at the inferior alveolar artery in four cases and at the superior alveolar artery in one case. The pseudoaneurysms were selectively embolized using 25-33 % n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA)-lipiodol. All of the cases showed good results angiographically and clinically. Transit hypoesthesia at the region of the mental nerve was observed in one patient.
Conclusion: Selective transarterial embolization is an effective technique for arterial bleeding from third molar removal when it is difficult to obtain hemostasis by dental procedures. Injection of NBCA can be useful when the alveolar artery is too small to embolize with coils.