Prospective analysis of frequency and contributing factors of nerve injuries following third-molar surgery.

The objective of this prospective study was to determine the incidence of injury to the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves following surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars and to evaluate the various factors contributing to the same. A total of 119 patients underwent mandibular third-molar removal during the period of 11 months. Of 119, 3 inferior alveolar nerve and 5 lingual nerve injuries were encountered. Various factors such as lingual retraction, surgical time, operator experience, radiologic findings contributing to the injury were correlated and analyzed.