Disturbed eruption of the permanent lower second molar: treatment and results

To facilitate treatment of impacted lower second molars, different modes of treatment were studied retrospectively and the results related to the inclination and the degree of impaction of the tooth. Seventy-seven referred patients were treated with one of three basic methods: denudation of the second molar, orthodontics, or extraction of a molar. The methods were often combined, with a total of seventeen treatment combinations applied. Of the 95 impacted teeth, 68 percent were treated successfully, 21 percent acceptably, and 11 percent unsuccessfully. Irrespective of the degree of retention, the treatment of mesioangular impaction was most successful. The partially retained molars in the distoangular and vertical positions were particularly resistant to treatment. No method was superior to the others. Denudation could suffice, but usually a molar had to be extracted because of crowding. Orthodontic treatment was sometimes necessary to obtain correct axial inclination.