Distal cervical caries in second molars associated with impacted mandibular third molars: a case-control study

Olabisi H Oderinu; Wasiu L Adeyemo; Michael O Adeyemi; Olusgeun Nwathor; Moshood F Adeyemi

doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2012.03.039

Distal cervical caries in second molars associated with impacted mandibular third molars: a case-control study

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2012 Sep 12:S2212-4403(12)00395-1. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2012.03.039. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Olabisi H Oderinu¹, Wasiu L Adeyemo, Michael O Adeyemi, Olusgeun Nwathor, Moshood F Adeyemi

Affiliation

¹ Lecturer, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.

PMID: 22981096
DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2012.03.039

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study compares the incidence of cervical caries in the mandibular second molar associated with impacted third molar with that of fully erupted third molar. STUDY DESIGN: The participants consisted of subjects with second molar adjacent to an impacted third molar (study group), and subject with second molar adjacent to a fully erupted third molar (control group). Incidence of cervical caries on the second molar and other variables were recorded and analyzed for both groups. RESULTS: The incidence of distal cervical caries in the study group was 15.7% and no case of distal cervical caries was seen in the control (P = .000). DMF score in study group was significantly lower than in control (P = .000). The incidence of distal cervical caries increased with age of subjects and DMF scores (P ≤ .05). CONCLUSIONS: Distal cervical caries in second molars is a phenomenon limited only to impacted mandibular third molars.