Mandibular fracture complications associated with the third molar lying in the fracture line

A retrospective study of 622 patients (551 men and 71 women, age range 14-63 years) with 650 mandibular fractures crossing the third molar was conducted. In 183 patients (193 fracture lines) the wisdom tooth was retained or partially erupted and in 439 patients (457 fractures) the wisdom tooth in the fracture line was normally situated in the dentition. The analysis showed no statistically significant difference in the complication frequency associated with the extraction of retained or erupted wisdom teeth (12.50% and 8.37%, respectively). In treatment of fractures with retention of the wisdom tooth in the fracture line the complications with the totally erupted and normally situated third molars were more frequent than those with the unerupted third molars (20.70% vs 7.69%). The analysis of the complications according to the applied method of treatment shows that the complications in open (operative) reposition and fixation of the fragments were more frequent with unerupted (20.00%), as well as with erupted wisdom teeth (24.13%). With closed (non-operative) fracture treatment the complications were respectively 7.30% with the unerupted and 11.33% with the erupted wisdom teeth. On the basis of the obtained results conclusions are made for the practice.