Third molar angulation changes in Class II div I malocclusion subjects treated with extraction of four premolars: A retrospective study

Aim The aim of this study was to assess the changes in maxillary and mandibular third molar inclinations in individuals with class II div 1 malocclusion, before and after orthodontic treatment with extraction of all four first premolars. Materials and Methods This retrospective study consisted of the pretreatment and posttreatment records of 30 patients that were obtained from the archives of the department of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics in A B Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences. The maxillary third molar's relation to the palatal plane and the mandibular third molar's relation to the mandibular plane were measured. The paired t test was used to calculate pre- and posttreatment changes. A value of P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results The maxillary third molars showed a mean correction of 6.15° (P < 0.001) and the mandibular third molars showed a mean correction of 5.10° (P < 0.001). Conclusion Maxillary third molars showed more uprighting when compared to the mandibular third molars and that both maxillary and mandibular third molars showed an improvement in their angulations to their respective planes after extraction of the first premolars. However, the results of the study cannot be analyzed to state if the third molars do become fully functional.