Possible vascular complications due to anatomical variations in dental surgical treatments

Abstract

The facial artery undergoes multiple anatomic variations that condition the territory that vascularizes to the facial level. During the dissection of several pieces, we find a curious anatomic alteration in which the transverse facial artery is the one that replaces the facial artery because it disappears at the level of the submandibular gland. This anatomic variance can help to improve the knowledge of the vascularization of this area and be helpful in the different surgical or aesthetic processes in the facial region, and doing so minimizes the damages that can be caused in the anatomical surfaces treated. This is why in the planning of the treatment it would be always useful to know the path of the main vessels and nerves to avoid their possible injury and, in this case, we recommend the use of means such as ultrasound.