The influence of mandibular third molar germectomy on the treatment time of impacted mandibular second molars using brass wire: a prospective clinical pilot study

The brass wire ligature is an efficient method to correct a moderately mesially impacted mandibular second molar (MM2). The aim of this prospective clinical pilot study was to evaluate the influence of mandibular third molar (MM3) germectomy on the treatment time for this procedure and to determine its impact on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) using the short-form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). The STROBE guidelines were followed. Impacted MM2 were assigned randomly to receive brass wire ligature treatment either with germectomy (group A) or without germectomy (group B). Descriptive statistics and the Student t-test were used in the statistical analysis; significance was set at P≤0.05. One thousand and thirty patients were assessed. Fourteen subjects with 20 mesially angulated (range 25-40°) impacted MM2 were identified. Paired comparisons of groups A and B showed no statistically significant difference in treatment time (171days for group A and 174days for group B; P=0.440), but a statistically significant difference in OHIP-14 values at the 3- (P=0.017) and 7-day (P=0.002) follow-up. The brass wire technique can be used effectively in moderately impacted MM2, but the combined use of MM3 germectomy does not influence the treatment time and shows a negative impact on OHRQoL.