Dental and Oral Health

Biography

Biography: Razan Mohammad Baabdullah

Abstract

Purpose: There is a lack of data about the prevalence rate and the pattern of third molar impaction in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence rate and the pattern of third molar impaction if present and its association with other factors like age, gender, local and racial factors.
Methods: The investigators implemented a retrospective study composed of 1866 digital orthopantomogrmas (OPG) of the patients who attended dental clinics in King Abdulaziz University Dental Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Digital OPGs of 580 patients aged between 18 and 55 years were selected from these records and evaluated for the prevalence rate of third molar impactions and their pattern. Other study variables were grouped into the following categories: age, gender, and nationality. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed and the P-value was set at .05.
Results: The sample was composed of 580 patients, 77.1% of them presented with at least one impacted third molar with no significant difference between gender and nationality groups regarding the prevalence rate of impaction but younger people showed higher prevalence rate. There was a statistically significant association between gender and angulation pattern. Of the 914 impactions, there was a predilection for mandibular than maxillary impactions but not statistically significant (Mandibular, 52.8% vs Maxillary, 47.2%; P= 0.085). Vertical impaction was the most frequent (34.1%). The most common level of impaction in the maxilla was level C while level A was the most common in the mandible; 53.6% and 47.6% respectively.
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the prevalence rate of third molar impaction in Jeddah population is high and the rate is expected to rise over time. Future studies will focus on the etiology of third molar impaction.