Effect of impaction on third molar development and age estimation – A study in a female black South African population

Abstract

The impact of impaction on the development of third molars remains a subject of debate within the scientific literature, given the lack of consensus. Simultaneously, there has been a call for dental age estimation studies to consider population-specific factors. This research was conducted with the objective of examining the influence of impaction on the formation of third molars in a cohort of female individuals of black South African descent. The study population comprised 428 panoramic radiographs, focusing on females within the age range of 15 to 23.9 years. Within this sample, mandibular third molars were categorized based on their positioning into two groups: non-impacted and impacted. Dental development stages were assessed and classified according to Demirjian’s 8-level staging system. Descriptive statistics were performed. The outcomes of the independent t-test revealed statistically significant differences in developmental stages, specifically stage G for tooth #38 and stage F for tooth #48, suggesting that impaction had an impact on dental development, albeit not consistently across all developmental stages. Nonetheless, it's noteworthy that the minimum and mean ages across all developmental stages were higher among impacted teeth. In summary, our findings support the conclusion that mineralization of impacted mandibular third molars in South African female subjects proceeds at a slower pace compared to their non-impacted counterparts. Consequently, when estimating dental age in the context of South African females, it is advisable to prioritize non-impacted third molars whenever feasible.