Surgical repositioning of impacted mandibular second molar teeth

Impacted second molars refractory to orthodontic treatment are frequent problems. The family dentist and the orthodontist should be on the alert for them. A philosophy for their management and the authors' experience over the past 13 years are presented. The proper time for definitive treatment...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics Vol. 91; no. 3; pp. 242 - 251
Main Authors Johnson, James V., Quirk, George P.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Mosby, Inc 01.03.1987
Subjects
Adolescent
autotransplantation
Child
Dentistry
early second molar removal
eruption
Female
Humans
Impacted second molars
Male
Mandible
Methods
Molar - anatomy & histology
Molar - surgery
Molar, Third - surgery
Molar, Third - transplantation
surgical repositioning
Tooth Extraction
Tooth Root - anatomy & histology
Tooth, Impacted - etiology
Tooth, Impacted - surgery
eruption
early second molar removal
autotransplantation
Impacted second molars
surgical repositioning
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Summary:Impacted second molars refractory to orthodontic treatment are frequent problems. The family dentist and the orthodontist should be on the alert for them. A philosophy for their management and the authors' experience over the past 13 years are presented. The proper time for definitive treatment of these impactions is during early adolescence, generally in the 11- to 14-year range. Impaction of the second molar is usually a problem of arch length deficiency. There may be an associated problem with a third molar impaction. The alternatives for impacted second molar treatments are (1) surgical repositioning with or without adjacent third molar removal, (2) removal of the second molar allowing the third molar to erupt, and (3) transplantation of the third molar to the second molar socket. In the authors' experience, surgical repositioning has provided the most promising results of the three choices. Technical aspects of surgical repositioning are discussed along with case selection criteria. Six cases are presented to demonstrate typical problems and their management. With proper timing and intervention, the prognosis is excellent for repositioning second molar impactions.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Case Study-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0889-5406
1097-6752
DOI:10.1016/0889-5406(87)90454-9