Does the Coronectomy a Feasible and Safe Procedure to Avoid the Inferior Alveolar Nerve Injury during Third Molars Extractions? A Systematic Review

Residual enamel removal to improve outcomes of mandibular third molar coronectomy: A single-center retrospective cohort study

This study aimed to analyze post-coronectomy complications, chronological root survival rate (success rate) using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and postoperative radiographic signs for root extraction. A total of 555 mandibular third molar coronectomies were clinically and radiologically evaluated (mean follow-up period, 27.2 months; range, 1 month to 10.5 years). Complications were observed in 22 (4.0%) cases. Temporary inferior alveolar nerve damage was observed in one (0.2%) case, and 21 (3.8%) retained roots required extraction between 1 and 64 months after coronectomy due to dry socket (two cases, 0.4%), primary non-wound closure (10 cases, 1.8%), secondary root exposure (seven cases, 1.3%), and submucosal root eruption (two cases, 0.4%). Residual enamel after coronectomy was more significantly found on 13 (61.9%) of 21 extracted roots than on 30 (5.6%) of 534 surviving roots. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed an overall survival rate of 93.8% at 5 years and 92.2% at 10 years. The 5-year survival rates differed significantly (p < 0.001) between the enamel-free (97.0%) and residual enamel-attached (58.3%) roots. The Cox proportional hazards model showed a hazard ratio of 20.87 (95% confidence interval, 8.58-50.72). The long-term outcomes of coronectomy were satisfactory, and a higher success rate is expected when the enamel is completely removed during coronectomy.

Benefits of Coronectomy in Lower Third Molar Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to measure and compare coronectomy versus extraction in patients at increased risk for inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injuries associated with third molar removal in terms of IAN injury and other complications.

METHODS

The review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses checklist. We conducted a comprehensive literature search across six databases and the gray literature from July 15 to August 01, 2022. We employed Rayyan software to identify and remove duplicate articles to ensure data integrity. Our research followed the strategy patient (P), intervention (I), comparison (C), outcome (O), and study (S): (P) patients needing lower third molar surgery at higher risk of IAN injury; (I) surgery options, coronectomy or complete extraction; (C) comparisons included reduced risks of nerve injuries, postoperative complications (pain, infection, alveolitis), and increased risks of reoperation, root migration, and extraction; (O) desired outcomes were preventing nerve injuries and reducing other surgical complications; and (S) observational study designs (cohort, case-control). Excluded from consideration were studies involving teeth other than lower third molars, as well as reviews, letters, conference summaries, and personal opinions. To gauge the certainty of evidence, we employed the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation instrument, selecting the most current papers with the highest levels of evidence for inclusion. The primary outcome variable of our study centered on evaluating the incidence of IAN injury, and secondly, the lingual nerve (LN) injury, the postoperative pain, infection, localized alveolitis, the necessity for surgical reintervention, root migration, and extraction. These assessments were carried out with respect to their chosen operative technique for managing third molars, either coronectomy or extraction, as predictor variables. We also considered covariates such as age, gender, and the presence of systemic diseases in our analysis to account for potential confounding factors. The pooled data underwent rigorous analysis utilizing an inverse variance method with both random and fixed effect models by the "metabin" function in the R program's meta-package. Additionally, we assessed the risk of bias in the selected studies by utilizing the Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data and the Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports.

RESULTS

Of the 1,017 articles found, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 42 were included in this study (29 cohort and 13 case-control studies), including 3,095 patients from 18 countries. The meta-analysis showed that coronectomy reduced the risk of IAN injury [OR (Odds Ratio): 0.14; 95% CI (confidence intervals): 0.06-0.30; I2 (inconsistency index) = 0%; P = .0001], postoperative pain (OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.33-2.86; I2 = 81%; P = .01), and alveolitis (OR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.13-1.09; I2 = 32.2%; P = .01) when compared to complete tooth extraction. However, it also highlighted a greater risk of reintervention (OR: 5.38; 95% CI: 1.14-25.28; I2 = 0.0%; P = .01).

CONCLUSIONS

This study has demonstrated that coronectomy is associated with a decreased risk for IAN injury and decreased pain and localized alveolitis when compared to complete tooth extraction. However, it is essential to acknowledge the higher likelihood of requiring reintervention with coronectomy. Therefore, clinicians should carefully consider the advantages and potential drawbacks of both techniques and tailor their choices to the unique clinical circumstances of each patient.

Temporomandibular joint arthrocentesis: a single-center experience and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

The aim of this paper was to report our experience and to review the literature of arthrocentesis focusing on protocols and results.

METHODS

Arthrocentesis with supplemental hyaluronic acid was performed in patients with TMDs between January 2017 and December 2020 at the Division of Maxillofacial Surgery. The maximum interincisal opening (MIO) and pain score were recorded preoperatively (T0), 2 months postoperatively (T1), and 6 months postoperatively (T2). A literature search was performed to analyze the same parameters in patients with TMDs. Patient demographic, characteristics and treatment protocols used were also recorded.

RESULTS

This retrospective analysis enrolled 45 patients. Twenty-two patients (20 females, 2 males) with mean age of 37.13 years with internal derangement were included in study group A. Study group B included 23 patients with degenerative joint disease (19 females and 4 males) with mean age of 55.73 years. The outcomes trend of MIO and pain during the follow-up period showed a gradual improvement. Fifty articles meeting the proposed scientific criteria were selected for the literature revision. A range of clinical and procedural variables were analyzed by grouping the studies into two broad categories based on the diagnosis of TMD.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our experience and on the basis of the most accredited scientific studies in the literature, intra-articular injections of HA are beneficial for the improvement of the pain and/or functional symptoms of TMDs.

Knowledge and Attitude Among the Saudi Dentists Towards Coronectomy of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars

Purpose

Compared to the complete extraction of impacted third molars that are in close proximity to the mandibular canal, the coronectomy procedure is used as an alternative, owing to its minimal risk of damaging the Inferior alveolar nerve. Despite clear coronectomy concepts mentioned in the literature, the procedure is debatable. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude towards the coronectomy procedure among dentists in Saudi Arabia.

Patients and Methods

The 16 close-ended questionnaire was distributed electronically to 377 dentists over the country. It included the demographic data and the options given to their patients with complicated impacted third molars, and the number of coronectomy they have performed. The retrieved data were exported and transferred to the SPSS software program for analysis. The Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were used as appropriate for comparisons. A P-value <0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Only 54 (15%) participants performed coronectomy procedure, and only 28.3% of the participants advised their patients to do coronectomy. Nearly two-thirds of the participants (71.9%) were aware of coronectomy procedures, with no significant differences (P> 0.05) between the groups. About 68.9% of the participants agreed that coronectomy aims to protect inferior alveolar nerve damage. More than 60% of participants believed that coronectomy is a reliable technique, while 40.6% of participants claimed that they were capable of deciding whether to do coronectomy or extraction. No significant differences were found between the groups concerning most of the study variables (P> 0.05).

Conclusion

Knowledge of Saudi dentists towards coronectomy is good, while their attitude is still low. More learning strategies about coronectomy should be implemented.

The Growth Factors in Advanced Platelet-Rich Fibrin (A-PRF) Reduce Postoperative Complications after Mandibular Third Molar Odontectomy

Surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars constitutes one of the most frequently performed procedures within oral surgery. This surgery procedure is associated with many post-operative complications. Advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) belongs to the second generation of platelet concentrates and is rich in numerous growth factors. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of A-PRF on selected clinical features following the surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. The research was conducted on 100 generally healthy patients, who underwent a lower third molar odontectomy in Department of Oral Surgery, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland, between 2018 and 2019. The research group consisted of 50 patients (immediate A-PRF socket filling) and control group (50 patients without A-PRF socket filling). During the study, the following clinical features were assessed: pain (visual analog scale), analgesics intake, the presence of trismus, edema, hematomas within the surrounding tissues (e.g., cheek), prevalence of pyrexia, dry socket, secondary bleeding, presence of hematomas, skin warmth in the post-operative area, and bleeding time observed by the patient were analyzed on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th day after the procedure. There was a significant association between A-PRF socket filling and pain intensity, the analgesics intake, trismus, and edema on the 3rd and the 7th day (p < 0.05). The presence of hematomas and skin warmth on the 3rd day after the surgery (p < 0.05) were also statistically associated with A-PRF use. The study showed that in reducing the incidence of postoperative complications, A-PRF was more important than the position of the tooth or the duration of the procedure. The growth factors in A-PRF reduce postoperative complications, such as pain, trismus, edema, analgesics intake, presence of hematomas, and skin warmth, after mandibular wisdom teeth odontectomy.