Accuracy of IOPA & OPG in 3rd Molar Surgery with CBCT as Gold Standard

Surgical extraction of mandibular impacted third molars is routine surgical procedure performed by maxillofacial surgeons in dental clinics as well as hospital setups. The reported frequency of inferior alveolar nerve injury associated with Third molar removal ranges from 0.6% to 5.3%. To prevent possible complications, useful radiographic diagnostic tool is needed that can determine the relationship between inferior alveolar nerve and third molar. From scores of years, intra oral periapical radiograph & panoramic radiograph are routinely used as an auxiliary examination for treatment planning of lower third molar removal, due to its wide availability, low cost and relatively low exposure dose. But there are a lot of controversies by surgeon regarding accuracy & resolution of images of both these radiological tools. In modern dental practice, CBCT is becoming more common in clinical practice due to its spatial resolution and the lower radiation dose as compared to conventional CT. Many literatures proved CBCT as Gold Standard radiological tool for assessment of impacted third molar and various dentofacial pre surgical assessments.