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| Format: | Recurso digital |
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Zenodo
2026
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18814882 |
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Table of Contents:
- <p><strong><span>Background: </span></strong><span>Impacted mandibular third molars are common teeth in the oral cavity. They have been associated with several conditions including distal caries of the mandibular second molars. The eruption angulation of the mandibular third molars may be associated with the occurrence and severity of distal caries. However, data are scarce from the Saudi population. This study aimed to assess the effect of mandibular third molar eruption angulation on the occurrence and severity of distal caries of adjacent second molars in the Saudi population.</span></p> <p><strong><span>M</span></strong><strong><span>aterials and m</span></strong><strong><span>ethods:</span></strong><span> A retrospective radiographic study was conducted on the panoramic radiographs of 1500 impacted mandibular third molars of Saudi patients aged 25 years and older. The angulation of impacted third molars was determined according to Winter’s classification, and the level of eruption was assessed using the Pell and Gregory classification. The occurrence and severity of distal caries in mandibular second molars were recorded. The associations between third molar angulation and gender and distal caries occurrence and severity were determined using the chi-square test. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Results:</span></strong><span> The vertical angulation had the highest prevalence (60.8%) among impacted third molars. The vertical impactions were equally distributed between males and females. No significant association was detected between gender and third molar angulation (p = 0.71). Distal caries of mandibular second molars was recorded in 45.6% of cases. Horizontal (71.4%) and mesio-angular impactions (67.8%) were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of distal caries compared to vertical impactions which recorded a lower prevalence of distal caries (31.6%) (p < 0.001). Moderate-to-severe carious lesions were associated mainly with mesio-angular and horizontal angulations compared to no caries which were associated with vertical impactions (p < 0.001).</span></p> <p><strong><span>Conclusion</span></strong><strong><span>:</span></strong><span> Angulation of mandibular third molars eruption is associated with the occurrence and severity of distal caries of mandibular second molars. Mesio-angular and horizontal impactions are high-risk angulations. Vertical impactions are associated with low risk for developing distal caries of mandibular second molars.</span></p>