Year : 2018

Volume : Volume 9

Issue : Issue 2

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Om Prakash.
OmPrakash@gmail.com

Abstract

Background:  In human dentition, the third molars have the highest impaction rate of all teeth. Pericoronitis is a painful, soft tissue infection located around the crown of partially impacted tooth infection that is most commonly found among young adults with erupting mandibular third molars and accounts for approximately 10% of the third molars extracted. Aim: To describe the positional characteristics of the mandibular third molars and risk factors that were associated with acute pericoronitis using both clinical and radiographic analysis. Material and methods: A total of 110 patients ranging in age from 18 to 45 years suffering from pericoronitis were examined. observations recorded included the age, gender, angulation of partially impacted mandibular third molar, the frequency of pericoronitis in a year, the extent of soft tissue coverage over the impacted mandibular third molar and the class and position of the impacted mandibular third molar,  Results: Out of  total of 110 patients, 46 were males and 64 female patients. In these patients 180 partially impacted mandibular molars were evaluated. The mean age of the participants was 28.9 years with female predominance. Vertical impacted mandibular third molars impacted at Class II and position B  with partial soft tissue coverage seem to be at the highest risk of developing pericoronitis. Conclusion: As development of pericoronitis is a complicated process, various factors  are associated with its  development. Based on our results it can be concluded that third molars impacted at vertical angulations, Class II and position B seem to be at the highest risk of developing pericoronitis.

Keywords: Angulation, impacted mandibular third molar, soft tissue, pericoronitis.