Inferior alveolar nerve injury related to surgery for an erupted third molar
Andrea Savi1, Maddalena Manfredi, Silvia Pizzi
1Unità Operativa di Odontostomatologia, Azienda Ospedaliero, Parma, Italy.
Abstract:
Removal of third molars is one of the most common operations performed in oral surgery. A well recognized serious complication of mandibular third molar extraction is injury to the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN). We describe a case of an unusual nerve passage discovered after the extraction of a completely erupted third molar. The likelihood of direct damage to the IAN can be predicted with more specific information obtained by the use of a preoperative computerized tomography scan when conventional radiography does not clearly show the nerve canal.
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