Most of orthodontic cases are treated with extraction of certain teeth, which influence the pre-eruptive movement of the lower third molar. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the positional change of lower third molar following orthodontic treatment. Pre- and post-treatment pantomograms of 163 orthodontic patients (77 nonextraction group, 78 first premolar- extraction group. 8 second molar- extraction group) were analyzed in terms of the mesiodistal and buccolingual angles of lower third molar. The results were as follows. 1. The change of the mesiodistal angle of lower third molar by orthodontic treatment was significant in second molar-extraction group. 2. The mesiodistal angle of lower third molar in pre-treatment was significantly correlated to the mesiodistal angle in post-treatment and/or the change of the mesiodistal angle by treatment. 3. The change of the buccolingual angle of lower third molar by orthodontic treatment was significant in non-extraction group or first premolar-extrction group. 4. The change of the buccolingual angle of lower third molar by treatment was significantly correlated to the mesiodistal angle in post-treatment, the change of the mesiodistal angle by treatment, the buccolingual angle in pre-treatment or the buccolingual angle in post-treatment.
Humans ; Molar, Third* ; Tooth