Pattern of impacted mandibular third molar angulation in patients visiting Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: The most common tooth to get impacted is the third molar. An impacted tooth can cause complications like pericoronitis, resorption of roots of adjacent tooth and temporomandibularjoint problems.

Methods: We examined orthopantomogram radiographs of 360 patients (151 males, 209 females) with bilateral impaction. Impacted mandibular third molars were classified into mesioangular, horizontal, vertical and distoangular based on angulation.

Results: Mesioangular impaction was the commonest form of impaction for sexes combined, males and females except for mandibular right side in females. Distoangular impaction was the least observed. For right side, there was a significant association between sex and the type of impaction of mandibular third molar. However, there was no significant association for the left side.

Conclusion: Mesioangular form of impaction for mandibular third molar was the most common in our study, and distoangular form of impaction was the least observed.