Introduction to Third Molar Surgery: Part 3-Classification of Impaction

Classification of third molar impaction is done to facilitate the communication between clinicians, for record keeping that may be used for audit research purposes.    

Introduction to Third Molar Surgery-Part 1

The third molars are the most common teeth that are found to be impacted. This article will provide and introduction to this topic. The difference between simple and surgical extraction along with the aetiologies and frequency of third molar impaction are explained in a simple way.

All About Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block

The inferior alveolar nerve is also known as inferior dental nerve.  It gives off a motor branch that supplies to mylohyoid muscle and anterior belly of digastric. Then it enters mandibular foramen and travels through the inferior alveolar canal. From inferior dental canal it supplies to mandibular third molar, second molar, first molar, and second premolar.  

From the level of the second premolar, it moves forward as mental nerve and exits through mental foramen.  The mental nerve supplies sensory nerve fibres to the chin and lower lip of that side. Within the mandible after mental foramen, it moves forward as incisive nerve and gives sensory supply to mandibular incisors and mandibular canines of that side. 

Maxillary Nerve

Maxillary nerve is the second division of the trigeminal nerve. It divides into several branches. You will read here about those that are related to dentistry below.