There are four main vascular sources in the oral cavity that can potentially be the source of serious or life-threatening bleeding:
Lingual artery
- Profuse bleeding can cause upper airway obstruction
- Risk of bleeding may occur from:
- Injuries or puncture wounds to the tongue
- Perforation of the lingual cortex of the mandible during implant placement
- Biopsies of the tongue or the floor of the mouth
Facial artery
- Risk of bleeding may occur from: a vertical release incision in the mucobuccal fold, facial to the posterior mandibular teeth
Greater Palatine artery
- Bleeding from this artery is difficult to control due to its size
- Risk of bleeding may occur from:
- Removal of palatal tori
- Gathering donor tissue for grafts
- Periodontal surgery when there is significant vertical bone loss on the palatal aspect
- Extraction of maxillary posterior teeth when there are tears in the posterior palatal tissues
Inferior Alveolar artery
- Usually located above the inferior alveolar nerve in the molar region in the mandibular canal
- Risk of bleeding may occur from: injury or cut by a bur in the mandibular canal
Source: Manual of Minor Oral Surgery for the General Dentist, Wiley, 2006