Incidence of Altered Sensation after Mandibular Premolar and Molar Periapical Surgery

Introduction: Altered sensation is a rare but disturbing adverse event after mandibular premolar and molar periapical surgery procedures, and its incidence is not known. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of altered sensation after periapical surgery procedures in mandibular premolars and molars. Methods: This retrospective study includes patients who received periapical surgery in endodontic clinics of a university hospital in the United States. Data were obtained by review of the records for patients who met the inclusion criteria, and statistical analysis of possible predictive factors was performed using the 2-tailed Fisher exact test (alpha = 0.05). Results: Sixty-two patients (63 teeth, 13 premolars and 50 molars) met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were analyzed in the study. The first follow-up visit occurred 3 to 37 days after surgery. Altered sensation was observed in 9 patients. Observation of altered sensation was significantly higher (odds ratio = 7.19) after premolar surgeries (5/13) compared with molar surgeries (4/50). Conclusions: Despite the limited size and retrospective nature of this study, it was concluded that the incidence of altered sensation after periapical surgery appears to be relatively high (14%), with a higher incidence found in premolars compared with molars.