Effects of Semi-impacted Mandibular Third Molar Surgery on Alveolar Bone Level around the Second Molar Teeth: A Pilot Study

introduction: In most cases, dental injuries caused by surgical extraction of an impacted third molar are underestimated. The present study aimed to investigate changes in the periodontal pocket depth and the cementum-enamel junction to the alveolar bone crest (CEJ-ABC) in the adjacent mesial and distal second molars before, three, and six months after semi-impacted third molar surgery without the use of Fresage. Materials and Methods: This pilot study was conducted on patients with semi-impacted third molar, who were referred to the Dental Clinic of Birjand Faculty of Dentistry, Birjand, Iran. The periapical photographs of each patient were used to measure the periodontal pocket depth and CEJ-ABC before, three, and six months after the surgery (pushing aside the soft tissue flap from the mesial of the second molar to the distal of the third molar by the sulcular method and removing the semi-impacted molar tooth without a handpiece bone removal). All data were analyzed using SPSS software (version ۱۹, Chicago, IL, USA) and Friedman test. Results: A total of ۱۲ patients were included in this study. In terms of gender, ۳(۲۵%) and ۹(۷۵%) cases were male and female, respectively. The Mean±SD age of the patients was ۲۸.۶±۱۱.۱۶ years. Based on the statistical analysis, no statistically significant difference was observed between the mean CEJ-ABC of the mesial second molar tooth (P>۰.۰۵) and the distal second molar tooth (P>۰.۰۵) before and after the surgery. Nonetheless, a statistically significant difference was observed in the mean distal periodontal pocket depth index of the second molar tooth before and after the surgery (P<۰.۰۵). Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, it can be concluded that surgery on the semi-impacted mandibular molar tooth may improve the periodontal health (pocket depth) of the adjacent second molar tooth. Comparative studies with larger sample sizes, broader age ranges, and longer follow-up periods are essential to confirm the results of the present study. Key words: Alveolar Bone Loss, Impacted Tooth, Mandible, Third Molar, Tooth Extraction

کلیدواژه ها:

Alveolar Bone Loss ، Impacted Tooth ، Mandible ، Third Molar ، Tooth Extraction