Pattern of Mandibular Third Molar Impaction in Nonsyndromic 17760 Patients: A Retrospective Study among Saudi Population in Central Region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The objective of this study was to study the incidence of type of impaction of mandibular third molars based on the classifications of Pell and Gregory and Winter, which included angulation of the tooth and level of the occlusal surface of the third molar with respect to the second molar, respectively, in a sample of Saudi population in central region. In this retrospective study, orthopantomograms (OPGs) of 17760 patients were examined, who were reported by the Dental University Hospital (DUH) at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between the years 2016 and 2020. Out of 17760 radiographs, 2187 (12.31%) patients presented with at least one impacted third molar. Out of which, 1337 (7.52%) patients had bilateral impaction and 850 (4.78%) patients had unilateral impaction ( p < 0.001 ). No gender predominance was noted in the impaction status ( p > 0.05 ). In bilateral impaction, 671 were male (50.2%) and 666 were female (49.8%). Among unilateral impaction, 394 (46.4%) were male and 456 (53.6%) were female. Mesioangular angulation was the most common pattern of impaction (65%) followed by vertical angulation in both bilateral and unilateral impactions. Level A impaction was found to be highest in both bilateral and unilateral impactions which are 48.02% and 54.0%, respectively ( p < 0.05 ). Our study highlights mesioangular impaction and level “A” as the most frequently encountered angulation and level of impaction in impacted teeth. This study result provides us useful data regarding the radiographic status of mandibular third molars in the population of Saudi Arabia.

The pattern of mandibular third molar impaction and its relationship with the development of distal caries in adjacent second molars among Emiratis: a retrospective study

“…The surgical removal of impacted teeth is one of the most prevalent oral surgeries among young adults. Indeed, different ethnic and racial groups may have different patterns of third molar impactions [ 14 ]. Therefore, studying the pattern of impaction and its related pathological conditions will support public health services and indicate the prophylactic removal of impacted MTMs.…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in which the pattern of MTM impaction and the resulting carious lesions have been investigated among Emiratis. Studying the pattern of MTM impaction is beneficial for determining the type of anesthesia, duration of the procedure, difficulty of the procedure and possible complications of the surgery [ 14 ].…”

“…A comparable prevalence rate was observed in Saudi Arabia [ 17 ]. However, lower [ 8 , 14 ] and higher [ 18 , 19 ] prevalence rates have been reported. It is possible that inconsistencies in prevalence may be attributed to the difference in mineralization rates of the MTM, tooth-to-jaw ratios, and physical maturity among the study samples.…”

“…Comparable results have been observed in a previous study [ 20 ]. However, there have been previous reports that showed both higher [ 14 , 16 , 18 ] and lower [ 8 ] rates of bilateral impaction.…”

“…Different ethnic and racial groups may have different patterns of third molar impactions [ 14 ]. Accordingly, a variety of studies have been conducted to identify the pattern of impacted MTMs in many countries and different regions within a country.…”