Mandibular second molar impaction - literature review and case reports

Aim: To assess the incidence of mandibular second molar impaction and the treatment methods for this condition.Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of the cases of patients diagnosed with impaction of mandibular molars at the Department of Oral Surgery of the Faculty of Dental Medicine - Plovdiv during the past 11 years was performed.Results: 962 patients with impaction of mandibular molars were operated on in the analyzed period. This diagnosis is relatively rare in second mandibular molars and represents 0.94% of all cases. Most often, diagnosis is based on clinical evidence of missing molars and on panoramic radiographs. In the cases described by us, only surgical treatment was used.Conclusion: The treatment of this condition is a challenge which requires an individual approach to each case and an assessment to determine what treatment approach is to be used - surgical or orthodontic