Assessment of the associated symptoms, pathologies, positions and angulations of bilateral occurring mandibular third molars: is there any similarity?

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate and establish any similarity between the associated symptoms, pathologies, positions, and angulation types of bilateral occurring mandibular third molars among a group of young adult patients.

STUDY DESIGN

A total of 342 patients (167 females, 175 males), aged between 20 and 25 years (mean: 22.2, SD: 1.8) participated in the study. Clinical and radiographic examinations were performed. Eruption status, mucosal and bony coverage type, presence of pain, pericoronitis, suppuration, ulceration, caries in third molar, distal caries in second molar, bone loss, root resorption, or cyst or tumor formation was investigated in addition to the position and the angulation of each tooth. Patients having at least one completely or partially erupted mandibular third molar were classified as group 1 and patients having bilateral impacted mandibular third molars were classified as group 2.

RESULTS

No significant difference was found between the symptoms and pathologies related with the mandibular right third molar (RM) and the left third molar (LM) among both groups and genders (P > .05). In the total sample, no significant difference was found between the RM and the LM in terms of mucosal coverage type, bony coverage type, and position both in group 1 and group 2 (P > .05); but gender had an influence on the bony coverage type and ramus distance of the RM and the LM in group 2 (P < .05). In the total the sample, symmetry was present for horizontal or distoangular and vertical or distoangular angulations in group 1 and group 2, respectively. Gender was found to also have an impact on angulation symmetry.

CONCLUSION

In most cases, a similarity was present between the symptoms and pathologies related with the bilateral mandibular third molars; but symmetry in position and angulation differed according to eruption status, angulation type, and gender.