RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF SIGNIFICANCE OF OPG IN ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTED MANDIBULAR THIRD MOLARS

Aim: The main aim of this study is to explore the need of OPG in extraction of impacted third molar. Background: Dental impaction is a common occurrence, and the number of patients with impacted third molars being sent to dentists and oral surgeons for removal has increased. When a tooth is significantly delayed in erupting and there are radiographic or clinical obstacles to its future eruption, it is deemed impacted. Anatomical and pathological information on dental and maxillofacial structures may be found in the OPG. The OPG is often used as the first step in the examination of impacted teeth. Paatero introduced the orthopantomograph, a panoramic tomography instrument for the maxilla and mandible, in 1954. It is now commonly used for radiologic assessment of the maxillofacial area, not only in dentistry but also in otorhinolaryngology. Its utility has been reported by several investigators. Materials and method: Case sheets of the patients with extraction of impacted third molar extraction with type of radiograph were taken. The data required was collected and then a frequency bar chart was generated using IBM SPSS software version 23, Chicago. Results: It was found that about 68.50% contributed to OPG and 31.50% were IOPA. It was found that most of them prefer OPG for analysing the anatomy of impacted third molar extraction over IOPA. Conclusion: OPG also has advantages in terms of radiation dose reduction and cost-effectiveness. This study revealed that OPG serves a vital tool in analysing the impacted third molar, therefore leading to a safe extraction procedure without any nerve or soft tissue damage. It was found that OPG was mostly preferred when compared to IOPA for extraction of third molar extraction.The OPG is an excellent screening radiograph for examining the teeth.