Ujuzi (Practical Pearl/Perle Pratique

n Ghana, road traffic accidents (RTAs) account for approx- imately 80% of mandible injuries.1–3 RTAs have become a public health concern worldwide, especially in low to middle income countries (LMICs), such as Ghana. Growth in motor vehicle numbers, poor enforcement of traffic safety regulations, inadequacy of public health infrastructure and poor access to health services are some of the reasons why RTAs continue to contribute to the high burden of injury in LMICs.4 Although computed tomography (CT) remains the imaging method of choice to diagnose mandible frac- tures, X-ray is more widely used and has a sensitivity of around 91%.5 However, X-rays are not accessible in many LMIC settings and referral for mandible imaging is even less feasible in these circumstances. This pearl describes how an inexpensive tongue depressor can be employed in the evaluation of mandibular injuries in low resourced, LMIC settings