The Prevalence Rate of Third Molar Impaction among Jeddah Population

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence rate and pattern of third molar impaction and its association with age, gender, local, and racial factors. Method and Materials: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients treated at King Abdulaziz University Dental Hospital from January 2011 to September 2013. The inclusion criteria were; 1) age at least 18 years 2) complete third molars root formation 3) no history of third molar extraction 4) third molars are not congenitally missing 5) complete records with good quality orthopantomogram (OPG) 6) absence of any pathological dento-alveolar condition or craniofacial syndrome. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed and the P-value was set at 0.05 Results: The charts of 1866 patients were reviewed and only 580 patients were included. At least one impacted third molar was present in 77.1% of the included patients and there was no significant difference between different genders and nationality groups. Younger subjects showed higher prevalence rate. There was a statistical significant association between gender and angulation pattern. The predilection for mandibular impactions was higher than the maxilla, but not statistically significant. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the prevalence rate of third molar impaction in Jeddah population is high. Future studies should evaluate the availability of resources and trained dental professionals to treat such a prevalent problem.