The influence of mandibular third molar on mandibular angle fracture

Cho, Sung Pil; Lee, Jae Hoon; Kim, Chul Hwan

Abstract

Mandibular fractures have higher incidence rate compared to facial bone fractures because of relatively prominent form. Specially, mandibular angle fractures were known as common fracture site because of morphological anatomic structure. The mandibular third molar appears to be the most frequent impacted tooth. The mandibular third molar have influence on mandibular angle fractures according to it's eruption state. Also, the mandibular angle fracture including the third molar may influence on post operative infection whether the third molar is in impacted or extracted state when reduction of fracture site is operated. The presence or absence and degree of impaction of the mandibular third molar were assessed for each patient and were related to the occurrence of the mandibular angle fracture. The extraction or non extraction of the mandibular third molar were related to the occurrence of the post operative infection in the reduction of mandibular angle fractures. In the presence of mandibular third molar, the possibility of mandibular angle fractures were relatively common. When viewing the mandibular third molar at occlusal plane, the possibility of mandibular angle fractures were high in the class C group. The possibility of mandibular angle fractures were high in the mesial angulation and partial impaction. There was a statistically significant difference(P<0.05). In complete erupted mandibular third molar, the possibility of post operative infection occurs quite often, but there was no statistical significant difference(P>0.05). In the extracted or non extracted of mandibular third molar, the post operative infection showed no statistical significant difference(P>0.05). With the results mentioned above, mandibular third molar was significantly more susceptible to mandibular angle fracture. In the reduction of mandibular angle fracture, it was recommended that mandibular third molar should be extracted especially in case of pericoronitis, periodontitis and other infections.