Impacted mandibular third molar and the inferior alveolar canal in Iraqis (A radiographical study)

Abstract

Aim of the study: To evaluate the position of impacted mandibular third molars and its relation to the inferior alveolar canals by the aid of panoramic radiographs.Materials and method: The study includes (246) panoramic radiographs with (444) impacted mandibular third molar teeth that are collected from different oral and maxillofacial surgery units belong to patients with the age between (20-35) years who seeks for help to remove their impacted mandibular third molar teeth in order to evaluate the relationship between the position of impacted mandibular third molars and its relation to the inferior alveolar canals by the aid of panoramic radiographs. Impacted mandibular third molar teeth position were classified as vertical, horizontal, mesioangular, and distoangular (Winter’s classification)and the radiographic relationship of the root apex of impacted mandibular third molar to the inferior alveolar canal was categorized as :below,superimpose,grooving and none of them(none).Result and discussion: The majority of impacted mandibular third molar teeth was of mesioangular position (35%), then the vertical position (29%), distoangular (20%), and the horizontal position (16%) in both gender and males has a higher percentage than females.Ingeneral,superimposition relationship between impacted mandibular third molar teeth and inferior alveolar canal is the highest (39%) in most of the cases among the other types of relation, then to a lesser extent was below the roots (31%), grooving (25%), and lastly, none (5%).The alveolar canal is mostly below the vertical and horizontal type of impaction. The alveolar canal is mostly superimposed on the roots of mesioangular and distoangular type of impaction. Grooving relation ship is most common with mesioangular impacted mandibular third molar.