Relationship Between Anatomy of the Third Lower Molar Location and Incidence of Alveolitis of Its Socket

INTRODUCTION: Socket alveolitis is the most unpleasant and frequent complication of the tooth extraction operation. According to the data of numerous studies, it most often occurs after extraction of the third mandibular molar. The causes of inflammation of the extracted tooth socket are well known. They include absence (“dry socket”) or decay of a blood clot which forms immediately after the operation and performs protective and reparative function during physiological healing of the socket. In turn, the risk factors provoking “dry socket” formation or blood clot fibrinolysis are mechanical injury of the socket, use of high concentration of adrenaline in local anesthetic solution, inadequate socket curettage, bleeding in the postoperative period, technically complicated surgical procedure and many others. However, all the mentioned factors leading to alveolitis, equally influence the inflammatory activity in the socket of any extracted tooth, including the lower third molar. Consequently, the anatomical location of the lower wisdom tooth, its germ and formation, have some peculiarities. The data analysis was carried out in the following Internet resources: eLibrary, Cyberleninka, disserCat, National Library of Medicine, ResearchGate (48 sources for the time period from 1967 to 2021). In the review article, the collected data of different studies on the frequency of alveolitis after tooth extraction, after the third lower molar extraction, on the main causes of the socket inflammation are given; generalized information of the anatomical characteristics of third molar location, its germ and formation is presented. CONCLUSION: The highest incidence of alveolitis of the mandibular wisdom tooth socket is probably associated with peculiarities of its supply with blood, the existence of high quantity of adipose tissue and loose connective tissue around it, difficult rupture and other anatomical and physiological parameters, which create conditions for development of intensive inflammatory process.