Comparative study of third molar impaction in rural and urban areas of South-Western Nigeria.

This study was carried out in the urban and rural areas of Southwest Nigeria with the objective of comparing the pattern of third molar impaction. A total of two thousand four hundred (2,400) subjects aged 20 years and above were examined for third molar impaction and radiographs taken for all suspected cases. Analysis of the finding in this study revealed that there was an increase in the prevalence of third molar impaction in the urban areas (10.7%) when compared with the rural populations (1.1%). It could be demonstrated that third molar impaction is more of a problem of urban youths than the older age groups. Civilization and change of diet seemed to be responsible for the observed differences in third molar impaction in the two geographical areas. This study also revealed that mesioangular impaction of lower third molar and vertical impaction of upper third molar was the commonest respectively in both communities.