To assess the role of lingual flap for the removal of lower wisdom tooth.

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the role of lingual flap in encountering lingual nerve injury during the surgical elimination of lower wisdom tooth. Study Design: Cross Sectional Case Control study. Setting: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Dentistry, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro / Hyderabad. Period: January 2016 to September 2016. Material & Methods: Subjects were categorized into two categories: Group-A (lingual flap) & group-B (control group) each having 52 patients by Lottery method. In group A an envelope mucoperiosteal flap followed by lingual flap elevation carried out and in group B only envelope flap was carried out. All patients were reviewed on the first postoperative day and again 1 and 3^rd week after surgery. At each postoperative visit, patient was examined for sensory nerve impairment of the lingual nerve by same observer. Results: Total 104 cases were studied, all the cases categorized among two groups 52 in each group. In group-A 34 were males and 18 were females, while in group-B 44 were male and 8 were females. There was no significant difference among both groups according to the pre-operative assessment. According to objective findings, lingual nerve paresthesia was found among 2 cases of group A on 1^st visit, while no any case was found with nerve injury in group B. Out of 2 cases, one case was improved and only one had presented with complain at 2^nd visit and 3^rd visit, no significant difference among both groups, p-values were quite insignificant. Conclusion: It was concluded that lingual nerve injury (LNI) occurred among few cases of lingual flap group which was insignificantly higher as compare to control group, but the nature of injury was temporary.