Purpose: Anecodotal reports suggest that the presence of mandibular third molars predispose the mandible to angle fractures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate mandibular third molars as risk factors for angle fractures in a patient sample with fractured mandibles.
Materials and methods: The medical records and panoramic radiographs of a patient cohort with mandible fractures was retrospectively reviewed. Data were collected for the following variables: age, sex, race, mechanism of injury, number and location of mandible fractures, and the presence and position of the mandibular third molars.
Results: Of the 73 patients with mandibular third molars, 30 (41.1%) had angle fractures. Of the 28 patients without mandibular third molars, 3 (10.7%) had angle fractures (P = .004).
Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that patients with fractured mandibles and mandibular third molars are 3.8 times more likely to have an angle fracture than patients without mandibular third molars.