Radiographic Evaluation of Impacted Third Molars and Their Complications in a Group of Iranian Population

Background and aim : An impacted tooth is a tooth that did not grow on its expected time because of an incorrect position or lack of space. The impacted third molar is the most common impacted tooth. In the present study, the presence of the impacted third molar teeth and their complications in the panoramic radiography of patients were evaluated. Methods and materials : The frequency of impacted third molars, in two jaws and two genders, their position (impaction depth and angulations), their influence on adjacent teeth and their relations to inferior alveolar canal were evaluated in 2000 panoramic radiography of patients who were over 20 years old. Results : 333(16.65%) patients [161(48.3%) men and 172(51.7%) women] with mean age of 30.32 ± 7.22 years (between 20 - 68 years old) had impacted teeth. 313 cases only had impacted third molars, 16 cases had other impacted teeth and 4 patients had both impacted third molar and other impacted teeth. Prevalence of impacted wisdom teeth is in mandible more than maxilla and in women more than men. The mesioangular angulation in mandible and upright angulation in the maxilla were the most common angular position. Type B in the mandible and type C in the maxilla were the most common types of impaction's depth. Most of the mandibular and maxillary impacted third molars showed complete root development. Higher frequency of distal caries or defects of the adjacent second molars was found in the mandible. Conclusion: Frequency of impacted third molars in mandible was more than maxilla. Also impacted third molars were found in women more than men. With regard to mandibular third molars, mesioangular and type IB were the common pattern.The relationship between the position of the tooth and distal caries of second molar will be an interesting finding and has clinical importance.