Clinical application of molar uprighting for impacted mandibular second molars

To investigate the effect of the clinical application of molar uprighting in the treatment of impacted mandibular second molars.

A total of 16 cases of impacted mandibular second molars were chosen, and the impacted molars were treated with straight wire appliances and molar uprighting. Before and after treatment, the vertical angle of the molar, the height of the distal buccal tip, the height of the distal buccal tip of the anchorage molar, the depth of the periodontal pocket and the height of the alveolar bone were measured. Moreover, the treatment cycles of the third molar extraction group, the premolar group and the nonextraction group were compared.

All impacted molars responded well to treatment. The vertical time of impacted molars was (1.34 ± 0.45) months, (2.20 ± 0.57) months, and (2.30 ± 0.45) months in the third molar extraction group, the premolar extraction group and the nonextraction group, respectively. The treatment time of the third molar extraction group was shorter than that of the other two groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After treatment, the inclination of impacted second molars increased by (25.94 ± 8.85)°, the elongated distal buccal tip was depressed by (1.00 ± 1.48) mm, the depth of the proximal and middle periodontal pocket of impacted molars decreased by (1.21 ± 1.03) mm, and the height of the alveolar bone of the proximal and middle adjacent surfaces of impacted second molars increased by (4.57 ± 1.45) mm; these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the height of the distal buccal tip of the first molar before and after treatment (P > 0.05).

Molar uprighting is an efficient, reliable, and convenient method that can shorten the treatment period. Extraction of crowded third molars is beneficial for the vertical and periodontal health of impacted second molars.