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Oral Surgery · single question

During the extraction of an impacted mandibular third molar, which nerve is most at risk of injury?

  1. The inferior alveolar nerve (and the lingual nerve)
  2. The facial nerve
  3. The mental nerve exclusively
  4. The glossopharyngeal nerve
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. The inferior alveolar nerve (and the lingual nerve)

  • A. Correct. The IAN lies in the mandibular canal near the third-molar roots, and the lingual nerve runs along the lingual plate — the two nerves classically injured during lower third-molar surgery.
  • B. Incorrect. The facial nerve is not in the surgical field of a third-molar extraction.
  • C. Incorrect. The mental nerve is near the premolar/foramen region, not the third molar.
  • D. Incorrect. The glossopharyngeal nerve is in the oropharynx, away from the extraction site.

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