Tehran University of Medical Sciences Frontiers in Dentistry 2676-296X 17 0 2020 08 03 3259 3259 Mehdi Fani Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Mashhad Dental School, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Sahand Samieirad Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Mashhad Dental School, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Zahra Shooshtari Student Research Committee, Mashhad Dental School, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Maryam Jamali Student Research Committee, Mashhad Dental School, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Elahe Tohidi Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran 2019 08 23 2020 03 18 Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the mini-plate and screw removal rate and reasons in maxillofacial surgery patients under previous semi-rigid fixation treatment in the past five years at the main trauma center of Mashhad. Materials and Methods: This was a census-based retrospective study. All the candidates who admitted to our department for maxillofacial plate removal due to symptomatic or infected mini-plates were included in this study. The patients’ age and gender, plate removal etiologies, and the time between plate insertion and removal were analyzed. Results: Mini-plates were inserted for 1026 patients. However, only 94 patients with a mean age of 29.4±11.1 years were candidates for plate removal. The plate removal rate was 9.16%. Infection and exposure were the most common causes of plate removal. The most prevalent removal site was the mandible (angle and body). The interval between mini-plate insertion and removal was an average of 12.9±5.6 months. It is noteworthy that the shortest lasting duration was when plate removal was secondary to pain (6.67 months) and infection (11.45 months). Conclusion: This research showed that the routine removal of plates does not appear to be generally indicated in healthy subjects unless there is an obvious and definitive clinical indication. https://fid.tums.ac.ir/index.php/fid/article/view/3259 https://fid.tums.ac.ir/index.php/fid/article/download/3259/1801