Original article
English
Ahmed A 1, Fadel Mohamed F 2, Hattab K 3
1- Department of Pedodontic, Orthodontic, and Preventive Dentistry 2- Department of Oral Biology 3-Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Surgery, Al-Fateh University Tripoli, Libya.
JMJ 2009;9(4):272-275
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of various complications, including alveolitis, infection and paresthesia of the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves, associated with surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. The relation between these complications and several clinical variables (age, sex, degree of impaction, and surgical difficulty) was also examined. Data were collected for all patients who underwent surgical extraction of an impacted lower third molar in the oral Surgery Department, Central Dental Clinic, Tripoli, Libya , over a period of four years. A total of 1921 impacted mandibular third molars were surgically removed from 888 male and 1033 female patients. After surgery, patients were seen at three days, one week and four weeks after surgery to establish the occurrence of complications. Those with complications were treated, and those with paraesthesia were followed for at least three years. The complication rate was 7.7%, consisting of 93 cases of alveolitis, 26 cases of infection, and 11cases of paresthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve, and 17 cases of lingual nerve dysfunction. The risk factors with permanent neurosensory deficit of inferior alveolar and lingual nerves were female sex, Pell and Gregory IC or IIC classification of impaction, and age greater than 25 years. Surgical extraction of the impacted mandibular third molars should be carried out well before the age of 25 years, especially for female patients. Older patients are at a greater risk of postoperative complications and permanent sequelae. A surgeon’s lack of experience could also be a major factor in the development of postoperative complications.
Keywords: Lower third molar ,Complications,Oral surgery
Link/DOI: http://www.jmj.org.ly/PDF/winter2009/272.pdf