A multivariate statistical analysis on variables affecting inferior alveolar nerve damage during third molar surgery

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Dental Radiology

Background:

• Lower third molar extraction is a common oral surgery procedure.
• Inferior alveolar nerve damage is a potential complication of this surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify risk factors for inferior alveolar nerve damage during third molar surgery.
• To improve surgical planning and reduce complication rates.

Main Methods:

• Review of surgeries performed by a single expert surgeon over 50 months.
• Statistical analysis including Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, principal components analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, exact Fisher test, and Bonferroni correction.

Main Results:

• Surgical difficulty index, multi-rooted third molars, and altered inferior alveolar nerve path relative to tooth roots are significant predictors of nerve damage.
• These factors are crucial for predicting the risk of nerve injury.

Conclusions:

• Computed tomography (CT) is mandatory when the inferior alveolar nerve appears superimposed on the tooth root in orthopantomography.
• CT imaging is essential for accurate pre-operative assessment and surgical planning to prevent nerve damage.