Digital Assessment of Difficulty in Impacted Mandibular Third Molar Extraction.

PURPOSE: In recent era of computer and software technology, it is necessary to introduce software which helps in routine assessment of surgical procedures practiced in oral surgery. Removal of impacted third molar is a common procedure. It is hard to evaluate factors that complicate removal of impacted third molars because of the large variation among patients and the difficulty in creating a study design. In this article, we have described about our newly designed software developed in order to assess the difficulty in extracting impacted mandibular third molars accurately, thereby reducing the bias faced during the assessment of difficulty in removing impacted mandibular third molar. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A software is designed using C# computer language and Windows Presentation Foundation Framework. RESULTS: The measurements and angulations are accurately calculated by this software which helps to bring about uniformity in results, thus minimizing the bias during clinical as well as study purposes. CONCLUSION: Mandibular third molar difficulty level calculator can be useful software for dental practitioners in day-to-day practice. Dental students and professionals should be made aware of this software so as to utilize it to the utmost possible level.

Amalgamation of Cranio-maxillofacial Surgery and Technological Development.

How often should results go according to plan? No surgeon is perfect all the time, yet surgery is a discipline driven by results. Surgeons have therefore turned to technology to improve not only their outcomes but also how often they achieve high-quality results. Almost entire human creativity today, from the standpoint of its efficiency and expediency, is conditioned with the existence of technology. Progresses in computer-based technologies including virtual reality simulators, augmented reality, virtual plastic surgery software and computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing systems have resulted in new modalities for instruction and practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery. The efficiency offered by new technology to conventional model surgery can return hours to a surgeon's day through a more streamlined work-up and smoother intra-operative experience with confidence in the surgical accuracy. Continuous quality improvement has been a mantra in health care for many years. Surgeons are always looking to improve not only the quality of their results but also the consistency with which these results are achieved. To this end, new technology is being incorporated into or replacing traditional diagnostics and treatment planning.