Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery : official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. · May 2010
A novel surgical approach to impacted mandibular third molars to reduce the risk of paresthesia: a case series.
Extraction of impacted mandibular third molars (M3s) may cause temporary or permanent neurosensorial disturbances of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN). Although the incidence of this complication is low, a great range of variability has been reported in the literature. Several methods to reduce or eliminate this complication have been proposed, such as orthodontic-assisted extraction, extraction of the second molar, or intentional odontoectomy. The purpose of this series of cases is to present a novel approach for a riskless extraction of impacted mandibular M3s in contact with the IAN. ⋯ This technique may be considered as an alternative approach to the extraction of horizontally or mesioangular impacted M3s in proximity to the IAN.