Introduction:

eruption of the third molars is a process that is not fully explained in the literature; however it is known that their eruption can cause different complications.

Objective:

to characterize the abnormal eruption of third molars according to epidemiological, clinical and cephalometric variables.

Methods:

an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out at "Mártires del Moncada" Provincial Teaching Dental Clinic, in Santiago de Cuba, from November 2019 to February 2020. The population consisted of young people aged 18-25 years; the sample was selected by simple random sampling. Gender, skin color, abnormal eruption and other cephalometric variables were taken into account.

Results:

sixty-six third molars with abnormal eruption were detected from the 84 teeth included in the study (78.6%). The average associated with the eruption of these molars with insufficient upper bone space was the same for the upper ones with means of 25.9 mm; the average with inadequate angulation was obtuse in the upper left third molar with 128.3º and the acute one in the lower right third molars with 58.8º; the lower right third molars likewise had the largest inadequate mesiodistal diameter with 15.7 mm.

Conclusions:

the abnormal eruption of third molars is characterized by significantly affecting females and mixed-race individuals. Its observation is singled out, fundamentally, in lower molars with reduced posterior bone spaces, mesioangulations and considerable mesiodistal diameters.