Securing an airway in oral and maxillofacial surgeries is an important part of management for both the surgeon as well as the anaesthetist. Intermaxillary fixation (IMF) is required intraoperatively in most of the surgical procedures and oral intubation significantly impedes this. In certain cases nasal intubation is also contraindicated. In these circumstances, Submental intubation helps in avoiding potential complications associated with nasal intubation and tracheostomy and at the same time allows an unobstructed surgical field in management of not only trauma cases but also in orthognathic surgeries and rhinoplasty. In this paper, the use and the technique of submental intubation is discussed.

Key Words: Submental intubation, intermaxillary fixation