THE IMPORTANCE OF PANORAMIC RADIOGRAPHS ON EVALUATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE IMPACTED MANDIBULAR THIRD MOLAR TEETH AND INFERIOR ALVEOLAR NERVE

Abstract

Injury of the inferior alveolar nevre is a common complication during the remowal of impacted third molar teeth. Relevance of the third molar tooth to the inferior alveolar nerve should be examined prior to surgery, and panoramic radiographs are commonly used for this purpose. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the n. Alv. In injury and impacted lower third molar teeth via the examination of panoramic radiographs. Evaluation of the panoramic radiographs of 61impacted lower third molar teeth which had been surgically removed was made by two researchers. Ages, sexes positions of the impacted teeth and operation times were noted for each patient. Cases were divided into 3 groups regarding the relationship between the impacted lower third molar tooth and canalis alveolaris inferior. Group A: Tooth and the canal are superposed, Group B: relationship is present Group C: relationship is absent. The correlation between the existence of inferrior alveolar nerve injury and panoramic radiograph results were evaluated. Injury of the N. Alveolaris inferrior was detected in 6 of the 61 patients postoperatively. Rate of injury was significantly higher in group B when compared to the other 2 groups. 45 % of the cases in Group B, and 3% of the patients in Group A had postoperative nerve injury. No injuries were detected in group C. Even though the panoramic radiographs are important in evaluating the relavance of the impacted lower third molar teeth to the inferior alveolar nerve.