Soft tissue inflammation around upper third molar cause limited mouth opening: common but overlooked.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore inflammation of soft tissue around the upper third molar as a prevalent cause of limited mouth opening, identify the clinical and radiographic features, and summarize the therapeutic effectiveness of tooth extraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of data from 264 patients with limited mouth opening over the last five years was performed. RESULTS: Among the 264 patients, 24 (9.1%) had inflammation of the soft tissue around the upper third molar, which was the second most common cause of limited mouth opening. Twenty-one of the twenty-four affected patients, with an average mouth opening of 19.1 ± 7.6 mm, underwent upper third molar extraction. Gingival tenderness around the upper third molar or maxillary tuberosity mucosa was a characteristic clinical manifestation (p < 0.05). The characteristic features on maxillofacial CT included soft tissue swelling around the upper third molar and gap narrowing between the maxillary nodules and the mandibular ascending branch. Post extraction, the average mouth opening increased to 31.4 ± 4.9 mm (p < 0.05), and follow-up CT demonstrated regression of the inflammatory soft tissue around the upper third molar. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammation of soft tissue around the upper third molar is a common cause of limited mouth opening. Symptoms of pain associated with the upper third molar and distinctive findings on enhanced maxillofacial CT scans are crucial for diagnosis. Upper third molar extraction yields favorable therapeutic outcomes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Inflammation of the soft tissue around the maxillary third molar commonly causes limited mouth opening, but this phenomenon has long been overlooked. Clarifying this etiology can reduce the number of misdiagnosed patients with restricted mouth opening and enable more efficient treatment for patients.

Posterior superior alveolar nerve block alone in the extraction of upper third molars: a prospective clinical study.

Background: Third molar extraction is the most commonly performed minor oral surgical procedure in outpatient settings and requires regional anesthesia for pain control. Extraction of the maxillary molars commonly requires both posterior superior alveolar nerve block (PSANB) and greater palatine nerve block (GPNB), depending on the nerve innervations of the subject teeth. We aimed to study the effectiveness of PSANB alone in maxillary third molar (MTM) extraction. Methods: A sample size comprising 100 erupted and semi-erupted MTM was selected and subjected to study for extraction. Under strict aseptic conditions, the patients were subjected to the classical local anesthesia technique of PSANB alone with 2% lignocaine hydrochloride and adrenaline 1:80,000. After a latency period of 10 min, objective assessment of the buccal and palatal mucosa was performed. A numerical rating scale and visual analog scale were used. Results: In the post-latency period of 10 min, the depth of anesthesia obtained in our sample on the buccal side extended from the maxillary tuberosity posteriorly to the mesial of the first premolar (15%), second premolar (41%), and first molar (44%). This inferred that anesthesia was effectively high until the first molars and was less effective further anteriorly due to nerve innervation. The depth of anesthesia on the palatal aspect was up to the first molar (33%), second molar (67%), and lateromedially; 6% of the patients received anesthesia only to the alveolar region, whereas 66% received up to 1.5 cm to the mid-palatal raphe. In 5% of the cases, regional anesthesia was re-administered. An additional 1.8 ml PSANB was required in four patients, and another patient was administered a GPNB in addition to the PSANB during the time of extraction and elevation. Conclusion: The results of our study emphasize that PSANB alone is sufficient for the extraction of MTM in most cases, thereby obviating the need for poorly tolerated palatal injections.

Remoción diferida de un tercer molar superior impulsado a la región infratemporal / Deferred removal of a third upper molar driven to the infratemporal region

La cirugía de los terceros molares retenidos puede ser considerada una intervención de rutina para el cirujano bucomaxilofacial. Como todo procedimien-to quirúrgico, puede presentar complicaciones intra y postoperatorias. Las más frecuentes son el dolor, edema, trismus, hemorragia y fracturas de las piezas dentarias a extraer, o de las tablas óseas. Pero tam-bién se pueden presentar otras complicaciones ines-peradas, como la impulsión o desplazamiento de la pieza dentaria a espacios anatómicos vecinos, entre los que podemos encontrar al espacio pterigomandi-bular, la celda submaxilar, el seno maxilar, el espacio infratemporal, según se trate de terceros molares retenidos inferiores o superiores. En el presente ar-tículo, se describe una situación clínica de un tercer molar superior, que fue accidentalmente impulsado a la región infratemporal, y removido en una segunda cirugía realizada 3 semanas después del primer in-tento de exodoncia. Se analizan también los estudios preoperatorios para su correcto diagnóstico, y las maniobras clínicas e instrumentales tendientes a po-sibilitar su remoción minimizando las complicaciones intra y postquirúrgicas (AU)

Surgery of retained third molars can be considered a routine intervention for the oral surgeon. Like any surgical procedure, it can present intra and posto-perative complications. The most frequent are pain, edema, trismus, hemorrhage and fractures of the teeth to be extracted or of the bone tables. But other unexpected complications can also occur, such as the impulsion or displacement of the tooth to neighbo-ring anatomical spaces, among which we can find the pterygomandibular space, the submaxillary cell, the maxillary sinus, the buccal space, the infratemporal space and the lateral pharyngeal space, depending on whether they are lower or upper retained third mo-lars. In this article, the clinical case of a third upper molar is described, which was accidentally driven to the infratemporal region, which was removed in a second surgery performed 3 weeks after the first attempt at exodontics. It should be noted the impor-tance of diagnostic imaging as an indispensable com-plement to the correct location of the displaced tooth and its subsequent removal (AU)

Estudio de la relación de los terceros molares superiores retenidos y el seno maxilar en radiografías panorámicas y tomografía (CBCT) / Study of the relationship of retained upper third molars and maxillary sinus in panoramic radiographs and tomography (CBCT)

Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia de la radiografía panorámica para establecer la relación de los terceros molares superiores y la cortical inferior del seno maxilar, en comparación con la tomografía computarizada de haz cónico (CBCT). Material y métodos: El trabajo incluyó 72 pacientes, se estudiaron 34 terceros molares superiores retenidos izquierdos y 38 derechos. Se realizaron mediciones con el programa para establecer la distancia entre la cortical inferior del seno maxilar y el ápice del tercer molar superior a partir de la imagen de la radiografía panorámica en lo que se estableció como parámetros: «a distancia, en contacto y dentro del piso de seno maxilar¼. Luego, con los cortes oblicuos o paraaxiales de la tomografía computarizada (CBCT) se observó la verdadera ubicación en el plano bucopalatino. Resultados: Del total de los terceros molares superiores 34 fueron izquierdas (47.22%) y 38 derechas (52.78%). En la Rx. Panorámica, 18 casos (25%) se encontraron a distancia al seno maxilar, 12 en contacto (16.7%) y 42 por dentro (58.3%) del seno maxilar. En la tomografía se observaron 20 casos (27.8%) a distancia del conducto, 16 (22.2%) en contacto y 36 (50%) por dentro del seno maxilar. Se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas (p < 0.05) entre la Rx. panorámica y la tomografía (CBCT) de los terceros molares que se hallan por dentro del seno maxilar. Conclusión: A partir de los resultados obtenidos, podemos establecer que la radiografía panorámica no permite conocer la verdadera relación entre la cortical inferior del seno maxilar y los terceros molares superiores (AU)

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of panoramic radiography to establish the relationship of the upper third molars and the inferior cortical of the maxillary sinus, in comparison with the Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). Material and methods: The work included 72 patients, 34 upper left maxillary molars and 38 rights were studied. Measurements were made with the program to establish the distance between the lower cortex of the maxillary sinus and the apex of the upper third molar from the image of the panoramic radiograph in what was established as parameters: «at a distance, in contact and inside the floor of maxillary sinus¼. Then with the oblique or paraaxial slices of the computed tomography (CBCT) the true location in the bucco-palatal plane was observed. Results: Of the total upper third molars, 34 were left (47.22%) and 38 right (52.78%). In the panoramic X-ray 18 cases (25%) were found at distance to the maxillary sinus, 12 in contact (16.7%) and 42 inside (58.3%) of the maxillary sinus. The tomography showed 20 cases (27.8%) at a distance from the canal, 16 (22.2%) in contact and 36 (50%) inside the maxillary sinus. Statistically significant differences were observed (p < 0.05) between the Rx. panoramic and tomography (CBCT) of the third molars that are inside the maxillary sinus. Conclusion: From the results obtained, we can establish that the panoramic radiograph does not allow knowing the true relationship between the inferior cortical of the maxillary sinus and the upper third molars (AU)