Assessment of factors associated with surgical difficulty in impacted mandibular third molar extraction.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this prospective study was to investigate radiologic and clinical factors associated with increased difficulty in the removal of impacted mandibular third molars. We also aimed to form an index to measure the difficulty of removal of the impacted molars preoperatively.


METHODS
A total of 87 patients who required 90 surgical extractions of impacted mandibular third molars from November 2003 to May 2004 were involved in the study. Radiologic and clinical data were taken preoperatively. All extractions were performed under local anesthesia by a single operator. Surgical difficulty was measured by the total intervention time.


RESULTS
Increased surgical difficulty was associated with increasing age and body mass index. It was also associated with the curvature of roots of the impacted tooth and the depth from point of elevation (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Both clinical and radiologic variables are important in predicting surgical difficulty in impacted mandibular third molar extractions.
Gbotolorun
Olalekan Micah
OM
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. lekangbotol@yahoo.co.uk
Arotiba
Godwin Toyin
GT
Ladeinde
Akinola Ladipo
AL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*