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Objective: To determine the prevalence of impacted mandibular second molar (MM2) and the association between
MM2 impaction and crowding. The clinical significance of the angle between first and second mandibular molar
and of the space between the first mandibular molar (MM1) and the anterior margin of mandibular ramus in MM2
impaction were also evaluated.
Material and Methods: In this retrospective study , from the dental records of 2,945 caucasian young orthodontics
patients, 40 subjects with MM2 impaction were included in a study group (SG) and compared with a control group
(CG) of 200 subjects without MM2 impactions. The crowding, the angle of inclination of MM2, the distance
between MM1 and mandibular ramus, the canine and molar relationships, and the lower centre line discrepancy
were measured. For the statistical analysis , descriptive statistics and t-Student for independent sample groups
were used.
Results: The prevalence of impacted MM2 was 1.36%. The independent-Samples t-Test between SG and CG
showed: the presence of crowding (P<=0.001), an higher angle values of MM2 inclination (P<=0.001) and a smaller
distance between MM1 and the anterior margin of mandibular ramus (P<=0.001) in the SG.
Conclusion: The impaction of MM2 is a relatively rare occurrence in orthodontic caucasian populations. The
crowding, a higher angle values of MM2 inclination and a reduced distance between MM1 and the anterior margin
of mandibular ramus, at the time of one third of MM2 root formation (T1), characterize MM2 impaction.
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