• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.219-225
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of missing and impacted third molars in people aged 25 years and above. Materials and Methods: The study sample of 3,799 patients was chosen randomly from patients who visited Pusan National University Dental Hospital and had panoramic radiographs taken. The data collected included presence and impaction state, angulation, and depth of impaction of third molars, and radiographically detected lesions of third molars and adjacent second molars. Results: A greater percentage of men than women retained at least one third molar. The incidence of third molars decreased with increasing age. The incidence of partially impacted third molars greatly declined after the age of 30. Vertically impacted maxillary third molars and horizontally impacted mandibular third molars were most frequent in all age groups. Among the maxillary third molars, those impacted below the cervical line of the second molar were most frequent in all age groups, and among the mandibular third molars, deeply impacted third molars were most frequent in those aged over 40. Dental caries was the most common radiographic lesion of the third molars. Mesioangularly impacted third molars showed radiographic lesions in 13 (9.5%) adjacent maxillary second molars and 117 (27.4%) mandibular second molars. Conclusion: The number of remaining third molars decreased and the percentage of Class C depth increased with age. Caries was the most frequent lesion in third molars. Partially impacted mesioangular third molars showed a high incidence of caries or periodontal bone loss of the adjacent second molar. Regular oral examination will be essential to keep asymptomatic third molars in good health.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 2016

Prophylactic removal of impacted third molars is a common procedure in dentistry, but the necessity of routine extraction is still controversial. When impacted third molars caused severe apical root resorption of the second molars, orthodontic traction of the third molars after extraction of the damaged second molars could minimize alveolar bone defect and preserve the patient's natural teeth. By well-planned orthodontic treatment, functional occlusion was established avoiding extraction of the impacted teeth and eliminating the possibility of a large bone defect after extraction.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.251-258
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• 2016

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate factors associated with increased difficulty in the surgical extraction of impacted lower third molars and to improve identification of difficult cases. Materials and Methods: A total of 680 patients who required 762 surgical extractions of impacted lower third molars from 2009 to 2014 were enrolled in the study. Demographic factors, clinical factors, radiographic factors, surgical extraction difficulty, and presumed causes of difficulty were collected. Data were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23. Results: Age, sex, depth of impaction, and blurred radiographic image influenced difficulty in surgical extraction. The position of the impacted tooth influenced surgical difficulty, especially when it was accompanied by other factors. Conclusion: It is challenging to design a reliable and practical instrument to predict difficulty in surgical extraction of impacted lower third molars. To identify very difficult cases, root investigation using computed tomography is advised when impacted tooth position suggests difficult extraction.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.155-158
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• 2022

Objectives: The aim of this study was to observe the relationship between impacted mandibular third molars and development of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Knowledge of the factors that have an adverse effect on the TMJ is necessary for proper diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of TMJ disorders. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on 80 patients aged between 20 and 60 years with impacted mandibular third molars, over a period of two months. The patients were examined clinically and radiologically to determine the type of impaction and detect the associated TMJ symptoms or disorders. Results: In the 80 patients, 63.8% (51/80) of TMJ disorders were found in the horizontal group, 46.3% (37/80) in the mesioangular group, 42.5% (34/80) in the distoangular group, and 30.0% (24/80) in the vertical group of impacted mandibular third molars. Conclusion: The study concluded that type of impacted mandibular third molar is factor in the development of temporomandibular disorders.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.77-83
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• 1981

The author analyzed the morphological pattern of mandibles and lower third molars in order to study and predict the impaction of the developmental third molars. The subjects consisted of 37 males and 87 females with malocclusion. The following results were obtained: 1. The mandible was shown to be shorter in the impacted third molar group than in the erupted group, both in over-all length and in body length. 2. The developmental mesial angulation of the third molar to the mandibular plane was higher in the impacted third molar group. 3. There was a tendency for impacted third molars to be slightly larger than those which erupted except Class II malocclusion in female. 4. In the available space for the eruption of the third molar, significant space deficiency was found in association with the impacted third molar group compared with the erupted group.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2002

Purpose : We examined the relationships between the root curvatures of the mandibular third molars and their locations on the mandible, so that it might be contributed to elucidate the origin of the formation and development of the Korean mandibular third molar and help many clinicians to treat the mandibular third molars. Materials and Methods : Panoramic radiographs of 237 patients who had been treated at Korea University Ansan Hospital from March, 2000 to April, 2001 and had bilateral mandibular third molars were examined and analyzed. Results : There was no statistically significant difference between men and women (p<0.05). But there were significantly fewer subjects with bilateral curved roots in bilateral third molars regardless of their status (p<0.01) and were statistically significant differences between the groups with bilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with same status and with unilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with different status and between the groups with unilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with same status and with bilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with different status(p<0.05). Subjects with bilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with bilateral partial impacted status and with bilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with bilateral complete eruption status were significantly fewer (p<0.01) and subjects with the mandibular third molars with partial impacted and complete impacted status and with the mandibular third molars with complete erupted and partial impacted status had significantly fewer bilateral curved roots (p<0.05). Conclusions : When we postulate that it is genetic and environmental factors that affect the root formation, it seems that environmental factors have more effects on the formation of the mandibular third molars than on that of the mandibular first and second molars

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.343-348
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• 2011

Introduction: Third molar extraction is one of the most common procedures in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The impacted third molar causes many pathological conditions, such as pericoronitis, caries, periodontitis, resorption of adjacent teeth, and cyst or tumors associated with impacted teeth. Extraction is often considered the treatment of choice for impacted lower third molars. On the other hand, imprudent extraction of deeply impacted third molars can cause permanent complications, such as inferior alveolar nerve damage. Therefore, guidelines for the extraction of lower third molars should be set to prevent embarrassing complications. This study examined the indication and current trends of the extracted lower third molars in the dental hospital of a dental college. Materials and Methods: 557 extracted third molars were evaluated at the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery of Yonsei University. The chief complaint, diagnosis, age and degree of impaction were analyzed to determine the tendency for the extraction of asymptomatic lower third molars. Results: The percentage of asymptomatic third molars was 40.8%. In cases of full impacted tooth or full erupted tooth, the percentage of asymptomatic teeth was more than 50% (52.4% and 54.3, respectively). Among those partially impacted teeth, 73.1% of them showed symptoms, such as pain, tenderness and swelling. In terms of age, pericoronitis was evident at a younger age, and dental caries/periodontitis was the main cause of removal in those aged over 50. Twenty nine cases (1.6%) had teeth associated with pathological changes Conclusion: The incidence of pathological changes to the lower third molar was relatively low. Surgical extraction is recommended in cases of partially impacted teeth. In Korea, the incidence of asymptomatic third molar extraction was relatively higher than in European countries. More careful attention would be desirable to consider the risks and benefits of lower third molar extraction.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.328-334
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to validate the effectiveness of a recently proposed difficulty index for removal of impacted mandibular third molars based on extraction time and suggest a modified difficulty index including the presence of pathologic conditions associated with third molars. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 65 male patients younger than 25 years with third molars. Extraction time was calculated from start of the incision to the last suture. The difficulty scores for third molars were based on spatial relationship (1-5 points), depth (1-4 points), and ramus relationship (1-3 points) using cone-beam computed tomography. The difficulty index was defined as follows: I (3-4 points), II (5-7 points), III (8-10 points), and IV (11-12 points). The modified difficulty score was calculated by adding one point to the difficulty score if the third molar was associated with a pathologic condition. Two modified difficulty indices, based on the presence of pathologic conditions, were as follows: the half-level up difficulty index (HDI) and the one-level up difficulty index (ODI) from the recently proposed difficulty index. Results: The correlations between extraction time and difficulty index and or modified difficulty indices were significant (P<0.001). The correlation coefficient between extraction time and difficulty index was 0.584. The correlation coefficients between extraction time and HDI and ODI were 0.728 and 0.764, respectively. Conclusion: Extraction time of impacted third molars exhibited a moderate correlation with difficulty index and was strongly correlated with the modified indices. Considering the clinical implications, the difficulty index of surgical extraction should take into consideration the pathologic conditions associated with third molars.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.489-502
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the third molar and periodontal status of the adjacent second molar. Fifty patients who had four maxillary and mandibular second molars were consecutively selected for the study subjects. The subjects provided a total of 200 molars, i. e., 100 maxillary and 100 mandibular molars, and classified the groups as follows; third molars that are normally erupted are control group, that are impacted are test 1 group, that are simply extracted are test 2 group, that are surgically extracted are test 3 group. Probing depth, plaque index, gingival index and mobility were measured. The results were as follows. 1. In mesial probing depth, there was no significantly difference. In distal probing depth, there was a significantly difference between control group and test 1 & 3 group in maxilla and between control & test 2 group and test 1& 3 group in mandible(p<0.05). 2. In buccal probing depth, there was a significantly difference between test 2 group and test 3 group in mandible. In lingual probing depth, there was a significantly difference between control group and test 1 & 3 group in mandible(p<0.05). 3. In plaque index, there was a significantly difference between test 1 group and test 2 group in maxilla, between test 1 group and control & test 2 group in mandible(p<0.05). 4. In gingival index, there was a significantly difference between control group and test 1 & 3 group in mandible. In mobility, there was no significantly difference(p<0.05). As a result of this study, the second molars adjacent to the third molars that are impacted or surgically extracted had poor prognosis, so impacted third molars should be extracted in early time and the second molars are actively treated for periodontal health.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.163-171
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• 2023

Background: Surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars is the most common procedure performed by oral surgeons. The procedure cannot be performed effectively without achieving profound anesthesia. During this procedure, patients may feel pain during surgical bone removal (at the cancellous level) or during splitting and luxation of the tooth, despite administration of routine nerve blocks. Administration of intraosseous (IO) lignocaine injections during third molar surgeries to provide effective anesthesia for pain alleviation has been documented. However, whether the anesthetic effect of lignocaine is the only reason for pain alleviation when administered intraosseously remains unclear. This conundrum motivated us to assess the efficacy of IO normal saline versus lignocaine injections during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of IO normal saline as a viable alternative or adjunct to lignocaine for alleviation of intraoperative pain during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, interventional study included 160 patients who underwent surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars and experienced pain during surgical removal of the buccal bone or sectioning and luxation of the tooth. The participants were divided into two groups: the study group, which included patients who would receive IO saline injections, and the control group, which included patients who would receive IO lignocaine injections. Patients were asked to complete a visual analog pain scale (VAPS) at baseline and after receiving the IO injections. Results: Of the 160 patients included in this study, 80 received IO lignocaine (control group), whereas 80 received IO saline (study group) following randomization. The baseline VAPS score of the patients and controls was 5.71 ± 1.33 and 5.68 ± 1.21, respectively. The difference between the baseline VAPS scores of the two groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The difference between the numbers of patients who experienced pain relief following administration of IO lignocaine (n=74) versus saline (n=69) was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The difference between VAPS scores measured after IO injection in both groups was not statistically significant (P >0.05) (1.05 ± 1.20 for the control group vs. 1.72 ± 1.56 for the study group) Conclusion: The study demonstrates that IO injection of normal saline is as effective as lignocaine in alleviating pain during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars and can be used as an effective adjunct to conventional lignocaine injection.