Investigation of the relationship between the mandibular third molar teeth and the inferior alveolar nerve using posteroanterior radiographs: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The most severe complication that can occur after mandibular third molar (MM3) surgery is inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) damage. It is crucial to have a comprehensive radiographic evaluation to reduce the possibility of nerve damage. The objective of this study is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of panoramic radiographs (PR) and posteroanterior (PA) radiographs in identifying the association between impacted MM3 roots and IAN. METHODS: This study included individuals who had PR, PA radiographs, and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and who had at least one impacted MM3. A total of 141 impacted MM3s were evaluated on CBCT images, and the findings were considered gold standard. The relationship between impacted MM3 roots and IAN was also evaluated on PR and PA radiographies. The data was analyzed using the McNemar and Chi-squared tests. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy of PR and PA radiographies were determined. RESULTS: Considering CBCT the gold standard, the relationship between MM3 roots and IAN was found to be statistically significant between PR and CBCT (p = 0.00). However, there was no statistically significant relationship between PA radiography and CBCT (0.227). The study revealed that the most prevalent limitation of the PR in assessing the relationship between MM3 roots and IAN was the identification of false-positive relationship. CONCLUSIONS: PA radiography may be a good alternative in developing countries to find out if there is a contact between MM3 roots and IAN because it is easier to get to, cheaper, and uses less radiation.

Evaluation of Antegonial Angle and Antegonial Depth to Estimate Sex in a Prepubertal Turkish Population.

This retrospective study aimed to measure the antegonial angle (AGA) and antegonial depth (AGD) on panoramic radiographs in a Turkish subpopulation and to determine how those measurements relate to sex before puberty. A total of 600 patients were divided into 3 age groups (5, 6, or 7 years), and each group consists of 100 boys and 100 girls. For each patient, AGA and AGD indices in panoramic radiograph were measured by an oral radiologist and pediatric dentist. To our knowledge, this is the first study measuring AGA and AGD parameters on prepubertal subjects and identifying sex differences in these parameters. The data were analyzed by independent t test, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman correlation analysis, and intraclass correlation coefficient for interobserver compliance using the SPSS software program. In all age groups, a statistically significant difference was found between the prepubertal boys and girls in both AGA and AGD parameters (P < 0.05). Our findings support the conclusion that, in addition to adults, AGA and AGD indices can be used to determine the sex of prepubertal Turkish children. These parameters can be used to determine the sex in forensic investigations of victims in whose age or pubertal condition are not known.