Study on the Risk of Inferior Alveolar Nerve Damage During Lower Third Molar Surgery

"All surgeries were performed by the same expert surgeon (RP), with the buccal approach using local anesthesia, and included the following maneuvers:~* luxation of the coronal portion of the tooth/root in an ipsilateral or parallel direction with respect to the IAN position and running, in order to minimize nerve compression;~* post-extraction residual bone cavity inspection using a Zeiss 4x300 magnification optical system to better identify intra-operative nerve exposure.~No material was inserted into the residual cavity, neither by regeneration nor by haemostasis.~After one week, sensitivity was tested on both sides with the tactile test using a 27-gauge needle tip and, if a difference was found, the patient was followed up once a week for the first month and every two weeks thereafter, until he/she reported to perceive the pin-prick test in the affected side the same way as the healthy side."