Second premolar extraction improves the angulation of developing third molars better than first premolar extraction among subjects undergoing comprehensive orthodontic treatment

• Author Details:   
• Cheshta Yadav
• Ashok Kumar Utreja
• Satinder Pal Singh
• Ashok Kumar Jena

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Objective: To test the null hypothesis that premolar extraction had no favorable effect on the angulation of developing third molar among subjects undergoing comprehensive orthodontic treatment. 
Materials and Methods: Pre- and post-treatment orthopantomograms of 73 subjects in the age range of 13-24 years were divided into three groups to evaluate the effect of premolar extraction on the improvement of developing third molar angulation. Group-I (n=26) included subjects in whom all first premolars were extracted, Group-II (n=20) included subjects in whom all second premolars were extracted and Group-III (n=27) included subjects in whom non-extraction orthodontic treatment was carried out for the correction of their malocclusion. Descriptive statistics, paired t-test were used for the statistical analysis. The P-value of 0.05 was considered as level of significant.  
Results: The mean angulations of maxillary third molars were increased significantly following first and second premolars extraction treatment (P<0.01). The mean angulations of mandibular third molars were increased marginally following first premolars extraction treatment, however the mean angulations of the mandibular third molars were increased significantly following second premolars extraction treatment (P<0.05). The changes in the angulations of maxillary and mandibular third molars after non-extraction orthodontic treatment were very modest and statistically not-significant.
Conclusions: Extraction of first and second premolars had favorable effect on the angulation of developing third molars. The favorable changes were more following the second premolars extraction as compared to the all first premolars extraction.  

Keywords: Premolar Extraction, Third Molar Angulation, Orthodontic Treatment