Prevalence of pathologies associated with impacted wisdom teeth in a subpopulation in northern Brazil: a radiographic study

Abstract

Introduction: Dental impaction is an anomaly in which the tooth does not erupt in the dental arch based on clinical and radiographic features. A wisdom tooth can have a variety of positions and levels of retention, which can result in a range of associated pathologies, the most common of which are: caries; root resorption of the adjacent tooth; alveolar bone loss and increased space in the pericoronary space. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of pathologies in radiographically impacted wisdom tooth in a subpopulation in the North of Brazil. Method: 1192 digital panoramic radiographs of patients seen in a Dentistry Course in Northern Brazil were evaluated. The age range was 18 to 76 years and the radiographic findings observed were: caries, radicular resorption, alveolar bone loss and an increase in the pericoronary space greater than 4 mm. Results: The prevalence of associated pathologies was 67.5%. The alveolar bone loss of the adjacent tooth of more than 5 mm had the highest frequency of pathology, 507 (50.3%), root resorption of the adjacent tooth, 222 (22.0%), caries, 157 (15.6%) and increase in the periconary space, 121 (12.0%). Conclusion: Early detection of pathologies associated with wisdom tooth is essential for effective treatment. The study showed that the prevalence of pathologies in impacted wisdom tooth was 67.5%. The most common pathology was alveolar bone loss, followed by root resorption of the adjacent tooth, an image suggestive of caries and an increase in the pericoronal space.