Fractures of the mandible involving the impacted third molar tooth: an analysis of 47 cases.

An attempt is made to correlate mesio-angular, horizontal, disto-angular and vertical tooth impaction with the incidence, displacement and management of fractures in the region of the mandibular third molar. Evidence was taken principally from a radiographic study of 47 cases of fracture of the mandible at this site. No particular single mandibular third molar angulation showed itself more commonly in this series of fractures. However, fractures involving unerupted mesio-angular third molard tended to remain undisplaced and could, therefore, be treated by simpler measures.