Do third molars weaken the mandibular angle?

Objective: The purpose of this study is to estimate how is the magnitude of the impact of a mandibular third molar on the mandibular angle stiffness. Study Design: It was performed a literature search on whole MEDLINE and LILACS data base to find articles that match the following inclusion criteria: cohort studies presenting data on patients with mandibular fractures and third molars; that had a similar angle fracture definition; and that present data available to be cross-classified in a statistic analysis. Results: The sample was composed by 4 studies, involving 2533 patients from USA, Nigeria, Germany and Jordan, evaluated between 1976 and 2001. The analysis of the sample shows a relativ…