RESEARCH ARTICLE
Temporal Evaluation of Neurosensory Complications After Mandibular Third Molar Extraction: Current Problems for Diagnosis and Treatment
Masaya Akashi*, Yujiro Hiraoka, Takumi Hasegawa, Takahide Komori
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2016Volume: 10
First Page: 728
Last Page: 732
Publisher ID: TODENTJ-10-728
DOI: 10.2174/1874210601610010728
Article History:
Received Date: 30/06/2016Revision Received Date: 07/11/2016
Acceptance Date: 08/12/2016
Electronic publication date: 30/12/2016
Collection year: 2016
open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode), which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Abstract
Objective:
This retrospective study aimed to report the incidence of neurosensory complications after third molar extraction and also to identify current problems and discuss appropriate management of these complications.
Method:
Patients who underwent extraction of deeply impacted mandibular third molars under general anesthesia were included. The following epidemiological data were retrospectively gathered from medical charts: type of neurosensory complication, treatment for complication, and outcome.
Results:
A total 369 mandibular third molars were extracted in 210 patients under general anesthesia during this study period. Thirty-one of the 369 teeth (8.4%) in 31 patients had neurosensory complications during the first postoperative week resulting from inferior alveolar nerve damage. Neurosensory complications lasting from 1 to 3 months postoperatively included 17 cases of hypoesthesia and 8 of dysesthesia in 19 patients. Five cases of hypoesthesia and 4 of dysesthesia in 5 patients persisted over 1 year postoperatively. Sixteen of 369 teeth (4.3%) in 16 patients had persistent neurosensory complications after third molar extraction under general anesthesia. Stellate ganglion block was performed in 4 patients. Early initiation of stellate ganglion block (within 2 weeks postoperatively) produced better outcomes than late stellate ganglion block (over 6 months postoperatively).
Conclusion:
Refractory neurosensory complications after third molar extraction often combine both hypoesthesia and dysesthesia. Current problems in diagnosis and treatment included delayed detection of dysesthesia and the lack of uniform timing of stellate ganglion block. In the future, routinely inquiring about dysesthesia and promptly providing affected patients with information about stellate ganglion block might produce better outcomes.
