Rajanikanth K
Wisdom teeth (or the impacted mandibular third molars) are the most common reason for which an Oral Surgeon consultation is sought by a general dentist. However, the young budding Oral & Maxillofacial surgeon is fascinated by the Plastic surgery, Orthognathic Surgery and Oncosurgery procedures that are routinely carried out in the Maxillofacial & Craniofacial centers that train them during the post graduate tenure. The basic operative procedure in which they are assessed during their final MDS examination i.e., surgical removal of an impacted wisdom tooth takes a back seat. It is repeatedly reiterated that day in and day out they may not be engaging in Oncosurgery and plastic surgery procedures, but they may be called in by the fellow dentists for a wisdom tooth removal. This presentation revisits the basics of examining a patient of impacted third molar, diagnosing according to the Roods criteria, categorizing third molars as per the Pedersons difficulty Index, and the indications for a 3D-CT in a patient of impacted wisdom tooth. The common complications encountered such as lingual nerve injury & dry socket are also touched upon.
