Should the teeth in the line of jaw fractures be extracted?

Fractures in the jaw bones could present themselves differently according to the strength of the force and the bone’s ability to absorb the impact. The location and type of the fracture is important as well as the cause of the fracture (traffic accidents, melee trauma, pathologic changes). Pre-existing pathologic lesions, position of the teeth and the way they are affected by the fracture have a great influence on the prognosis. Whether to extract the teeth in the line of a fracture has always been controversial among dentists. While some researchers advocate that such teeth should be extracted to avoid complications, others believe that retaining these teeth would benefit the patient more. Most clinicians prefer to treat their patients depending on their own previous experiences. This article aims to establish a guideline on assessing whether to retain or extract the teeth in the fracture line.