Epidemiological Survey of Wisdom Teeth Position in Radiology Clinic of the Federal University of Ceará

Abstract

Impacted teeth are called who, once arriving at the normal time that would erupt, are closed partially or completely inside the bone, with no maintenance or pericoronal follicle. The etiology of the impaction is related mainly to the lack of available space in the region characteristic accentuated in the modern population, which appears to have lower bone growth. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of wisdom teeth and classify them according to their positioning. Based on patients' charts the Radiology Clinic of Dentistry College, Federal University of Ceará, from 2007 to 2008, 297 panoramic radiographs were examined. Eight hundred eighty seven teeth were observed, of which 442 upper molars and 445 lower molars. The frequency of the position of wisdom teeth was analyzed based on the Winter (1926) and Pell & Gregory (1933) classifications. The results, according to Winter’s classification, was a higher frequency of upper molars upright (64.26%) and lower molars in mesioangular position (54.36%). According to Pell & Gregory’s classification, the third molars were observed in Class II in 72.8% and in position A in 47.6% of cases.