Pathologic changes associated with the angulation of impacted mandibular third molars.

A nine-month clinical and radiographic survey was done on 337 impacted mandibular third molar hospital cases to determine the incidence of caries, alveolar bone loss, and adjacent tooth material loss and the relation of the angulation of the third molar. Sixty percent of the cases was affected by any one of the three pathologic changes; however, individually each lesion registered rates at 42% or lower. The mesioangular orientation registered the highest incidence rates among the four and contributed the most lesions when compared to the four. The majority of mesioangular cases had all three lesions. Thus the presence of the impacted mesioangular third molar should heighten the advocacy for its removal.