Anatomy of mandibular third molars. A comparison between radiographic appearance and clinical observations.

The purpose of this study was to present a radiographic technique for the examination of mandibular third molars and to investigate the extent of correspondence between the radiographic appearance and the true anatomy of the tooth. Forty-four mandibular third molars were examined radiographically and subsequently removed. The investigation showed that radiographic examination of mandibular third molars, utilizing intraoral films in three different projections, gave an insight into the true anatomy of the tooth. The few instances of minor misinterpretation could be grouped into two categories: (1) root dilacerations which paralleled the direction of the beam were not always apparent on the radiographs; and (2) the degree of fusion between roots lying close together was not usually well defined on the radiographs.