Frequency and Evolution of Lingual Nerve Lesions Following Lower Third Molar Extraction

Queral-Godoy, Elena; Figueiredo, Rui; Valmaseda-Castellón, Eduard; Berini-Aytés, Leonardo; Gay-Escoda, Cosme

doi:10.1016/j.joms.2005.11.010

« Previous Next »Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 64, Issue 3 , Pages 402-407, March 2006

Frequency and Evolution of Lingual Nerve Lesions Following Lower Third Molar Extraction

Elena Queral-Godoy, DDS
- Fellow of the Master of Oral Surgery and Implantology, School of Dentistry of the University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Rui Figueiredo, DDS
- Fellow of the Master of Oral Surgery and Implantology, School of Dentistry of the University of Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
Eduard Valmaseda-Castellón, DDS, PhD
- Associate Professor of Oral Surgery, Professor of the Master of Oral Surgery and Implantology, School of Dentistry of the University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Leonardo Berini-Aytés, DDS, MD, PhD
- Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Professor of the Master of Oral Surgery and Implantology, School of Dentistry of the University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Cosme Gay-Escoda, DDS, MD, PhD
- Chairman of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Director of the Master of Oral Surgery and Implantology, School of Dentistry of the University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Teknon Medical Center, Barcelona, Spain
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Gay-Escoda: Centro Médico Teknon, Vilana 12, 08022 – Barcelona, Spain

Purpose

To calculate the frequency of lingual nerve (LN) damage caused by lower third molar extraction and describe the evolution of LN sensitivity as well as the prognosis of LN damage based on preoperative data.

Patients and Methods

A retrospective study of 4,995 lower third molar extractions performed in 3,513 outpatients of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (University of Barcelona, Spain) between January 1998 and September 2001.

Results

Twenty-four extractions (0.5%) resulted in LN impairment. All involved ostectomy, with tooth sectioning in 20 cases. Cox regression analysis showed no risk factors for the persistence of LN injury during lower third molar extraction. The sensitivity recovery rate was greater in the first 3 months and then gradually decreased.

Conclusion

LN impairment usually recovers, the recovery rate being faster in the first months. LN damage is generally associated with ostectomy and tooth sectioning.