Impacted mandibular third molars in a hospital.

A 6-month clinical and radiographical survey was done on 210 patients consulting the hospital for management of impacted third molars. A majority (37%) consulted for pain secondary to a carious lesion but waited 1 week (21%) from the onset of symptoms until consultation. Ninety-one percent of third molars were partially erupted, while 9% were unerupted. Two hundred thirty third molars from 166 patients were included in the radiographic survey showing the highest occurrence of the Class 2 position A (49%) and the mesioangular orientation (48%).