Assessing the influence of third molar classification on the risk of caries in adjacent teeth

The findings indicate that the position and angulation of third molars play an important role in the risk of caries development in adjacent second molars. In the mandible, level A third molars in vertical (65.2%) and mesioangular (41.1%) positions had the greatest risk for caries development in adjacent second molars, whereas in the maxilla, the highest risk was found in vertical (47.3%) and mesioangular (25.7%) impactions. These results underscore the importance of early clinical evaluation and the implementation of preventive strategies to minimize caries risk in second molars associated with impacted third molars.