title: Influence of tooth sectioning technique and various risk factors in reducing the IAN injury following surgical removal of an impacted mandibular third molar.
abstract: A prospective study on 100 patients presented with a mesioangular impacted mandibular third molar in close proximity to the inferior alveolar nerve canal (IANC) was done to evaluate the efficacy of tooth sectioning in reducing the incidence of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury during their surgical removal. The patients were divided into two groups: group A, where tooth sectioning was not performed, and group B, where tooth sectioning was performed. Patients were recalled 7 days, 15 days, 30 days, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively for evaluation of nerve injury and its recovery. A total of 13 patients suffered from nerve damage out of which 10 patients (10/50 or 20 %) belonged to group A and 3 patients (3/50 or 6 %) belonged to group B. All patients showed complete recovery from nerve damage within 6 months except 1 patient. The result of the study showed that tooth sectioning significantly reduces the incidence of nerve damage by 14 %. Deviation of the IANC, increased depth of the impacted tooth, intraoperative hemorrhage within socket/nerve exposure, and increased duration of procedure were found to be the significant risk factors associated with nerve injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, People's Dental Academy, Room No 101, Bhopal, India. nehamds26@yahoo.in.
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, People's College of Dental Science & Research Centre, Bhopal, India.
authors.forename: Shaji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, People's Dental Academy, Room No 101, Bhopal, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prabhu
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, Bhopal, India.
authors.forename: Sumant
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, RKDF Dental College & Research Centre, Bhopal, India.
authors.forename: Ashutosh Dutt
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, People's College of Dental Science & Research Centre, Bhopal, India.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pillai
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, People's Dental Academy, Room No 101, Bhopal, India.
authors.forename: Mrinal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Satpathy
mesh_terms: D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D008340:Mandibular Nerve; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000601:surgery*; D061221:Trigeminal Nerve Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Impacted mandibular third molar; Inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury; Inferior alveolar nerve canal (IANC); Nerve deficit; Neurosensory disturbances; Tooth sectioning