Third molars are one of the most commonly impacted teeth in the oral cavity. But in very rare cases, the impacted molars can be inverted as well. In this case, the patient presented with an inverted and impacted left maxillary third molar. The aim of the operating surgeon was to execute the procedure in the least hazardous manner, to avoid any surgical complications.

The surgical extraction of the tooth by lateral transposition method was carried out rather than the classical method owing to the inverted position of the impacted tooth. The surgery was carried out under local anesthesia. An incision was made at the crest of the ridge with an anterior releasing incision. Bone overlying the impacted molar was removed following which the tooth was luxated and laterally transposed. The socket was thoroughly irrigated and closure was done by simple interrupted suture, using 3-0 mersilk.

The impacted and inverted maxillary third molar was successfully removed by lateral transposition method without any complications.

The impacted and inverted maxillary third molars are not commonly encountered in dental practice. Subsequently, their removal can be a challenging job on the part of an oral surgeon. The surgeon should preoperatively weigh carefully the associated risk factors and explain them thoroughly to the patient.

Chhabra S, Chhabra N, Dhillon G. Inverted and Impacted Maxillary Third Molar: Removal by Lateral Transposition Method. Int J Exper Dent Sci 2012;1(1):26-29.