An Audit of the Pathologies Associated with Impacted Wisdom Teeth

The purpose of this study was to find out the types of pathologies that can arise in association with impacted wisdom teeth. Two hundred consecutive patients scheduled for extraction of one or more of their impacted wisdom teeth were evaluated clinically and radiographically. Orthopantogram (OPG) was the standard radiograph. 194 (97 %) of the teeth were associated with pathologies. Pericoronitis was the most common condition followed by caries, periodontal disease, facial space infections, cyst/ tumors and resorption of adjacent second molar. Six (3 %) of the teeth were extracted for orthodontic reasons. Younger patients had acute reversible conditions whereas with increasing age chronic destructive lesions became more prevalent. Retaining impacted teeth can lead to recurrent pericoronal infections and damage to adjacent structures.