Purpose : We examined the relationships between the root curvatures of the mandibular third molars and their locations on the mandible, so that it might be contributed to elucidate the origin of the formation and development of the Korean mandibular third molar and help many clinicians to treat the mandibular third molars. Materials and Methods : Panoramic radiographs of 237 patients who had been treated at Korea University Ansan Hospital from March, 2000 to April, 2001 and had bilateral mandibular third molars were examined and analyzed. Results : There was no statistically significant difference between men and women (p<0.05). But there were significantly fewer subjects with bilateral curved roots in bilateral third molars regardless of their status (p<0.01) and were statistically significant differences between the groups with bilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with same status and with unilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with different status and between the groups with unilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with same status and with bilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with different status(p<0.05). Subjects with bilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with bilateral partial impacted status and with bilateral curved roots in the mandibular third molars with bilateral complete eruption status were significantly fewer (p<0.01) and subjects with the mandibular third molars with partial impacted and complete impacted status and with the mandibular third molars with complete erupted and partial impacted status had significantly fewer bilateral curved roots (p<0.05). Conclusions : When we postulate that it is genetic and environmental factors that affect the root formation, it seems that environmental factors have more effects on the formation of the mandibular third molars than on that of the mandibular first and second molars