The inferior third molar is the most encountered impacted permanent tooth. Pericoronitis of the lower third molar is a term used to describe the inflammation around the crown of a tooth, usually of an incompletely erupted mandibular third molar. Mandibular molar impactions are usually mesioangular, distoangular, vertical, and horizontal. The position and type of the impaction may affect the development of pericoronitis. This study was conducted to assess the positions of the lower wisdom tooth as a risk factor for pericoronitis.