Güler Nur İbIşoğlu

Background: Third-molar agenesis is the most common dentofacial anomaly. Therefore, this retrospective study aims to assess the possible association between craniofacial patterns and third-molar agenesis in orthodontic patients.Methods: A total of 200 patients receiving orthodontic treatment, whose dental records included anamnesis, pretreatment lateral cephalograms, and orthopantomograms, were assessed. Digital cephalometric analyses were performed, and skeletal classes were established using the individualized ANB angle (the angle between Nasion-point A line and Nasion-point B line) and GoGn/SN angle (the angle between Gonion-Gnathion line and Sella-Nasion line). The identification of third-molar agenesis was facilitated through the use of orthopantomograms. The data obtained in this study were analyzed using the SPSS version 22 statistical software. Chi-square analyses were conducted, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was used to assess intra-observer reliability.Results: Forty-one cases (20.5%) presented at least 1 third-molar agenesis. The highest number of absent third molars was observed in the tooth number 18, 28, 48, and 38 respectively. The most frequent pattern of third-molar tooth agenesis is absence of 4 (78%), 3 (14.6%), 1 (4.9%) and 2 third molars (2.4%) respectively. There was no significant difference between sexes in terms of agenesis status. Sagittal classification does not have a significant effect on agenesis status. There was a significant relationship between agenesis status and vertical classification. In particular, individuals with agenesis are more likely to have hypodivergent facial typeand less likely to have hyperdivergent facial type.Conclusion: The tooth with the highest number of agenesis was number 18. Sagittal skeletal classification does not exhibit a significant impact; however, there is a significant relationship between third-molar agenesis and vertical skeletal classification.Cite this article as: Uslu - Akçam Ö, İbişoğlu GN. Is there a relationship between third-molar agenesis and craniofacial morphology? Essent Dent. 2026, 5, 0038, doi:10.5152/EssentDent.2026.25038

Panoramic radiography is widely used for initial assessment during clinical examinations. It is very useful for clinicians to predict impaction of third molar teeth via certain parameters without relying solely on personal experience. This study aims to examine the relationship between the impaction of mandibular third molar teeth and mandibular morphology. Thus, mandibular third molar tooth impaction estimation can be provided with measurements made on panoramic radiography. The study material consisted of panoramic radiographs of 330 patients. The experimental group with impacted mandibular third molar teeth included 165 patients (mean age 20.62 ± 2.89 years), and the control group with erupted mandibular third molar teeth included 165 patients (mean age 22.23 ± 4.22 years). Nine dimensional, four angular, andone1 proportional parameter were examined on panoramic radiographs via the ImageJ program. The Mann‒Whitney U test, Kruskal‒Wallis H test, chi‒square test and correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis. Intraobserver reliability was examined via the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Dimensional parameters such as condyle length, coronoid length, mandibular corpus width, sigmoid notch depth, retromolar space distance, and antegonial notch depth were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. The Co/Cr angle was also significantly greater in the experimental group, whereas the alpha angle was significantly greater in the other groups. The ratio of the retromolar space distance to the third molar tooth width was also significantly greater in the control group. Mandibular third molar tooth impaction is related to various parameters of mandibular morphology. Certain measurements taken from panoramic radiographs may provide predictions regarding the likelihood of mandibular third molar impaction.