Predictive Value of Preoperative Radiography for Inferior Alveolar Nerve Paraesthesia Following Third Molar Extraction: A Prospective Study.

Background: Impacted teeth usually remain symptom-free, but cause various symptoms and pathologies due to pain, swelling, bone loss, distal caries, periodontitis, infections, occlusion disturbances, pericoronitis, root resorption of adjacent teeth, periapical infections, cysts and tumors. Associated complications to the surgical removal of IMTM can be divided into intra-operative and postoperative. Am of this study is to assess the predictive value of preoperative radiological assessment of mandibular third molar impactions in relation to the inferior alveolar canal and postoperative complications. Methodology: Independent variables evaluated in this study were depth of impaction, angulation of impacted mandibular third molars and Proximity to the mandibular canal of the impacted mandibular third molar. The postoperative assessment parameters were measured after 24 hours, 3rd and 7th day after extraction of the mandibular third molar. Results: The maximum number of patients with the complaint of impacted mandibular third molar falls in the age group of 18-30 years, with no sex predilection. The most common angulation found was mesioangular (44.3%), with Level A (57.4%). The most common warning radiographic sign on OPG, according to Rood and Shehab classification, was interruption of the white line of the canal (29.6%). The correlation was found to be highly significant (p=0.000) between radiologist and surgeon according to Paderson's scale before surgical removal of impacted third molars. Conclusion: The pre-operative assessment of mandibular third molar impactions in relation to the inferior alveolar canal was found to be predictive in assessing the postoperative complications after extraction.