Prevalence and Difficulty Index Associated with the 3(rd) Mandibular Molar Impaction among Malaysian Ethnicities: A Clinico-Radiographic Study.

Background: The mandibular third molars (3Mms) are the most common impacted teeth in the human dentition and their prevalence ranges from 27-68.8% in various parts of the world. The assessment of surgical difficulty of 3Mms extraction helps in better formulation of treatment plan by minimizing postoperative complications.

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the prevalence and pattern of 3Mm impaction in patients between 20-44-year-old among Malaysian's ethnicities attending Oral Health Center/ SEGi University, Faculty of dentistry.

Materials And Methods: This study reviewed 1249 orthopantomograms (OPGs) of subjects aged 20 to 44 years of three Malaysian ethnic groups. Of the study population 918 OPGs were considered for the study. Patient's details include age, gender and ethnicity were extracted from the patient's clinical record and all details related to impaction were obtained from patient's panoramic radiograph that was individually examined by two investigators. The data collected was statistically analysed using SPSS 16.

Results: This study found that Chinese female recorded the highest number of patients with "very difficult" category of impacted mandibular third molars. The most common age group involved was 20-24 years, mesioangular impaction, deep occlusal level and no ramus space for impacted mandibular third molars (3ms) were the most common findings observed.

Conclusion: The present study suggests that predicting the level of difficulty preoperatively for impacted 3m surgery will help in formulating the better treatment plan, thereby minimizing the postoperative complication for the ultimate benefit of the patient.