Intraoral approach for the removal of impacted third molars represents a common surgical procedure for the specialized clinician. However, in some cases such as ectopic third molars, extraoral surgical removal seems to be inevitable. We present a step by step case of a 56 year old woman with an ectopic third molar of the lower jaw along with a cystic lesion, which were surgically removed by a submandibular approach. Postoperative clinical course was uneventful and there were no signs of facial nerve paresis. In such cases, appropriate preoperative planning must be made based on careful study of radiographic imaging and clinical examination. The more conservative technique that would minimize adjacent anatomic structures risk should be the surgical technique of choice. Key words:Ectopic third molar, mandible, cyst, extraoral approach.