Analyzing the Relationship of Inferior Nerve Canal to Impacted Mandibular Third Molars Using Cone-beam Computed Tomography

An impacted tooth is a tooth that fails to erupt into the dental arch within the expected developmental window and remains embedded in the jawbone or soft tissue beyond its normal eruption time. 1 Impacted teeth are very common in the general population with an overall prevalence of around 36.9% with highest prevalence recorded in Asia-43.1% and lowest in Europe-24.5% based on a meta-analysis conducted till December 2023, and a male-to-female predilection of 1.5:1, based on a survey conducted in New Delhi between 2024 and 2016.Impacted teeth possess various risks which include 15% of dental caries, 34.1% of pericoronitis, 11% of dentigerous cyst, and up to 5.7% of ameloblastoma.Hence, a treatment modality of extraction is usually indicated. [2][3]][4][5][6] The position of inferior alveolar canal which includes the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) and vessels is often a reason of concern during treatment due to its close proximity to the roots of the impacted third molar with around 59.86% directly beneath the roots of impacted third molars, around 30% in direct contact with mandibular canal, and 22.3% buccally and 19% lingually placed with respect to the third molars. 7A general risk of around 0.35-8.4% of third molar extraction is associated with nerve damage, with an increased risk of up to 30% when the teeth are in close contact. 8Thus a diagnostic evaluation 1,