Abstract

Inferior alveolar (IA) neurosensory changes are complications that infrequently occur after third molar extraction. However, no adequate treatment has been established for IA neurosensory changes. The present study aimed to establish an effective treatment for IA neurosensory changes following lower third molar extraction. A total of 10,062 patients (12,776 teeth) who underwent lower third molar extractions were enrolled between April 2014 and June 2022. The medical records of the patients were reviewed, and relevant data were extracted. The prevalence of risk factors for recovery from IA neurosensory changes was analyzed. In total, 221 patients (224 teeth) developed IA neurosensory changes. Temporary and permanent IA neurosensory changes occurred in 1.75% and 0.71% of patients, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 6-month cumulative recovery rates were 25.0%, 60.1%, and 71.1%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that age < 40 years (hazard ratio [HR], 2.02; P < .001), local anesthesia (HR, 1.45; P = .03), and postoperative administration of corticosteroids (HR, 1.63; P = .04) were significantly associated with high recovery rates. The cumulative recovery rate significantly improved with corticosteroid administration ( P = .04). However, no significant differences were observed using the propensity score matching method. No significant differences were observed with or without vitamin B 12 administration. These results suggest that postoperative administration of corticosteroids enables recovery from IA neurosensory changes after third molar extraction.