Lingual Nerve Injury During Impacted Mandibular Third Molar Surgery

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of lingual nerve injury (LNI) during the surgical removal of mandibular third molar and the associated risk factors. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, from January to June 2021. METHODOLOGY: A total of 121 patients were included in this study who had undergone impacted third molar surgery. Data were collected on a proforma via interview. Patients were followed up after 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months of duration. Frequency of LNI and its association with various surgical procedure steps were determined. RESULTS: This study shows that out of 121 patients, frequency of LNI was found to be 3.3% (n=4). The type of impaction (p=0.047), lingual flap retraction (p<0.001), tooth splitting (p=0.029), and longer duration of surgery were found to be significantly associated with it. CONCLUSION: The frequency of LNI during mandibular impacted third molar surgery was 3.3% in this study, and significantly associated with horizontal impaction, lingual flap retraction, tooth splitting, and duration of surgery longer than 30 minutes. KEY WORDS: Lingual nerve injury, Tooth, Impaction, Third molar, Lingual flap retraction, Tooth splitting.