The Analysis Study of Lingual Nerve Injury After Surgical Removal of Mandibular Third Molars With Lingual Flap Retraction: A Comprehensive Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: This systematic review aims to examine contemporary data to assess the incidence of LNI following mandibular third molar surgical removal, specifically comparing the incidence across three techniques: buccal flap without retraction, buccal flap with retraction, and the lingual split technique. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, this systematic review focused exclusively on full-text articles published in English between 2014 and 2024. Result: The study conducted a comprehensive review of over 100 publications sourced from reputable databases, including ScienceDirect, SagePub, and PubMed. Following an initial screening, eight publications were identified as warranting more in-depth analysis. Consequently, a thorough review of these selected studies was performed to ensure a detailed and rigorous evaluation. Conclusion: There’s a higher risk of temporary lingual nerve injury (LNI) with the buccal approach with lingual flap retraction and lingual split technique compared to the buccal approach without lingual flap retraction. While the latter showed lower permanent LNI rates, lingual split technique posed greater risks overall.