Abstract:

Introduction: The intimate anatomical relationship between the mandibular molars and the mandibular canal may be a precondition for an injury of the inferior alveolar nerve during tooth extraction. Dental imaging has a significant role in avoidance of permanent or temporary neurological complication after extraction of third or second mandibular molars. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between mandibular molars and mandibular canal in a group of patients, regarding the risk of alveolar nerve injury assessed by panoramic radiography.
Materials and methods: For the aim of the study, the distance between the apices of the molars and the superior border of the mandibular canal was measured in 100 patients using panoramic radiographs. According to the relationship the molars were classified into 6 groups.
Results:  Three hundred twenty five mandibular molars were observed, but only 94 third molars and 178 second molars were included in the statistics. A total of 36 molars, examined in the panoramic radiographs, are considered to be superimposed on the mandibular canal (Group 1).
Conclusion: According to the conducted study, mandibular third molars from Group 1 present 22.34% of all the examined 94 mandibular third molars. Those molars from Group 1 are most significant for assessing the risk of alveolar nerve injury. The risk of alveolar nerve injury during extraction is significantly higher in third mandibular molars compared to second mandibular molars.