JOURNAL OF STOMATOLOGY ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY, cilt.121, sa.3, ss.259-263, 2020 (SCI-Expanded)
Background: Injury to the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) is a severe complication of third molar (M3) surgeries that may interfere with speech, chewing, and social interactions, all of which affect quality of life. Factors such as direct IAN-M3 contact and interruption of the mandibular canal border (decorticalization) diagnosed from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images have been reported as risk factors, although their relation to postoperative sensory impairment is controversial. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between postoperative nerve injury and direct contact between IAN and M3 or canal decorticalization defined with CBCT.