Prevalence and Patterns of Impacted Maxillary third Molar in a Private Dental Institution

Tooth impaction can be defined as that failure of the tooth to erupt into its normal physiological position and oftentimes, it is associated with a third molar. Third molar is also known as wisdom tooth, meaning it is the last tooth to erupt into the oral cavity even in the age of adolescent or adulthood. Although third molar impaction remains indefinitely asymptomatic, some individuals may be presented with tenderness and swollen gums. Impacted teeth are commonly treated with tooth removal. Conservative approach is recommended in asymptomatic cases and when the risks of the procedure outweigh the expected benefit. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and pattern of maxillary third molar impaction, angulation and level of eruption among patients treated in Saveetha Dental College. Data collection was done in a university setting. Data regarding patients having impacted teeth were retrieved after analyzing 86000 case sheets. The following parameters were evaluated based on the dental records; age, gender, level of eruption and angulation pattern. Radiographs and intraoral photographs were used to assess the patterns of maxillary third molar impaction. Excel tabulation and SPSS version 23 was used for data analysis. The statistical test used for the demographics was frequency, percentage and for tests of association between categorical variables was Chi-square test.