Second Most Common Impaction — MFDS Part 1 MCQ
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Correct answer: A — Maxillary canine
The correct answer is A, the maxillary canine. Current UK Faculty of Dental Surgery guidance states that the maxillary canine is second only to the mandibular third molar in frequency of impaction, with a prevalence of approximately 1.5%. Displacement is more often palatal than buccal. Mandibular canines can become impacted but do so much less frequently. Mandibular second premolars and maxillary central incisors are recognised sites of impaction, particularly when eruption is obstructed, but neither is as commonly affected as the maxillary canine. Maxillary first premolar impaction is comparatively uncommon. Therefore, when third molars are considered collectively as the most frequently impacted teeth, the maxillary canine is the single best answer.
Reference: Royal College of Surgeons of England, Faculty of Dental Surgery. Management of the Palatally Ectopic Maxillary Canine, Introduction. 2022. https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/files/rcs/fds/guidelines/2management-of-the-palatally-ectopic-maxillary-canine--revised-with-edits-25-jan-2023.pdf