Root damage associated with intermaxillary screws: a systematic review

This systematic review examined the literature for evidence of dental root damage after contact with intermaxillary screws (IMS). Electronic databases, including the Cochrane Library, Ovid, Scirus, Scopus and Virtual Health Library, were used to search for original articles from 1980 to January 2011. Prospective and retrospective studies that assessed the association of root damage and contact with IMS were selected. Two authors independently reviewed and extracted the data from the included studies. A methodological quality scoring process was used to classify whether the articles presented low, moderate or high evidence. The search retrieved 795 citations. Nine studies fulfilled the initial selection criteria. Of these studies, 3 were excluded. Two studies did not note any iatrogenic injuries of the dental roots; the other study was a case report. Of the 6 included articles, 2 were ranked as having low and four as having moderate evidence. The moderate evidence found suggested that the roots did not exhibit clinical changes after coming into contact with the IMS, but this situation depends on the root damage level. To obtain reliable scientific evidence, studies with an adequate sample size and diagnostic methods are required to confirm the effects of IMS on the dental root.