SUMMARY
Aim. To evaluate age-related changes in the inclination angles of mandibular third molar germs and to determine their diagnostic significance (sensitivity and specificity) in impacted cases. Material and Methods. The study included 121 patients aged 7–23 years who presented to the orthodontic clinic with malocclusions. Panoramic radiographs were obtained before orthodontic treatment, during treatment, after completion, and during the retention period (ranging from 1 to 5 years). In total, 551 orthopantomograms were retrospectively analyzed, assessing 1085 mandibular third molar germs. Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS-26 using variational, dispersion, and ROC-analysis. The null hypothesis was rejected at p<0.050. Results. Mandibular third molar impaction can be predicted from the age of 13 with a sensitivity of 78.3±6.1% and a specificity of 51.8±6.7%. With increasing age, the probability of retention rises, and it can be predicted even at small inclination angles (<40°) with higher sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion. The application of this method in clinical practice improves the effectiveness of prevention of pathological conditions associated with tooth eruption disturbances.
Keywords: mandibular third molars, impacted teeth, orthopantomogram, eruption dynamics

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