The laryngeal mask airway in the extraction of supernumerary teeth in children: a retrospective study

This study aims to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and complications associated with the use of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in pediatric patients undergoing supernumerary tooth extraction, to evaluate and explore its application in outpatient pediatric dental surgery. A retrospective analysis of pediatric patients who underwent supernumerary tooth extraction under general anesthesia with LMA between 2021 and 2025. Data collected included patient demographics (age, sex, body mass index, medical history), surgical duration, LMA size, incidence of ventilation failure, immediate adverse airway events, and delayed airway injuries. A total of 529 patients were included. The final success rate was 514 cases (97.16%). The success group comprised patients with successful initial ventilation following induction and stable ventilation throughout the surgical procedure. The failure group was a composite population including patients with failure of LMA insertion during induction and failure of intraoperative ventilation maintenance. Risk factors for LMA failure included high body mass index (BMI), micrognathia, and prolonged surgery. The incidence of laryngospasm was 0.38%, and postoperative sore throat occurred in 1.32% of patients. No regurgitation, aspiration, or bronchospasm was observed. The LMA achieved a 97.16% success rate in outpatient pediatric supernumerary tooth extractions. LMA‑related adverse airway events and injuries were rare, indicating that the LMA is a safe and effective airway management device for pediatric dental surgery. The LMA is a safe and effective airway management tool with a high success rate and rare adverse events for outpatient pediatric supernumerary tooth extraction, identifying high BMI, micrognathia, and prolonged surgery as risk factors for LMA failure, which is clinically relevant for optimizing such procedures.