Mediastinal Emphysema Produced by Air Turbine Dental Drills

Two cases of mediastinal emphysema occurred after the use of high-speed air turbine dental drills. In each case, the initial diagnosis was incorrectly attributed to an anaphylactoid reaction caused by the drug which was used for local anesthesia. Each patient made an uneventful recovery. When summoned to see a dental patient, the physician should keep in mind the fact that the high-speed air turbine dental drill may be responsible for both mediastinal emphysema and air embolism.