ABSTRACT
The technical difficulties in oral surgery are leading many surgeons to believe that the coronectomy technique is always the best choice for the treatment of impacted third molars in intimate relation with the mandibular nerve. The objective of this study is to discuss conventional extraction and coronectomy, considering its respective advantages and the experience of the surgical team that can shed light on experts allowing to a better reflection on this trend and thus contributes to the best surgical choice. This clinical case reports a patient who presented the inferior third molar with impaction and root apices near of the mandibular nerve. Despite evidence to perform coronectomy, conventional extraction was done. The patient had no complications, displaying mild paresthesia during seven postoperative days. The immediate or late unpredictability of the coronectomy leads us to conclude that conventional extraction should be the technique of choice for the extraction of the third molar in close relation with the mandibular nerve, except in particular cases.