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The mandibular third molar. Dentists' judgement in the removal of asymptomatic molars

Knutsson, Kerstin LU (1996) In Swedish Dental Journal Supplement 114.
Abstract
The aim was to study dentists' judgement on the removal of and on the development of pathology associated with asymptomatic mandibular third molars. Thirty general dental practitioners (GDPs) and 10 oral surgeons were asked to judge 36 molars with equal distribution of three cues: patient's age, angular position and degree of impaction of the molar. Rating on a VAS was found to be an appropriate method to analyse the need for removal of asymptomatic molars.



The number of molars proposed for removal varied between O and 26 for the GDPs and between 3 and 21 for the oral surgeons. There was no molar all judges agreed should be removed. There was a substantial variation between the individual GDP and oral surgeon concerning... (More)
The aim was to study dentists' judgement on the removal of and on the development of pathology associated with asymptomatic mandibular third molars. Thirty general dental practitioners (GDPs) and 10 oral surgeons were asked to judge 36 molars with equal distribution of three cues: patient's age, angular position and degree of impaction of the molar. Rating on a VAS was found to be an appropriate method to analyse the need for removal of asymptomatic molars.



The number of molars proposed for removal varied between O and 26 for the GDPs and between 3 and 21 for the oral surgeons. There was no molar all judges agreed should be removed. There was a substantial variation between the individual GDP and oral surgeon concerning the relative weight they gave different diseases for the development of pathology. The GDPs, as a group, considered cyst formation and the oral surgeons pericoronitis to be the most influential pathological entity.



Regarding the influence of the cues on the judgement of the need for removal, there was also a considerable variation in the dentists' individual judgements. As a group, the GDPs differentiated between two age-groups, and the oral surgeons differentiated between three age-groups. GDPs estimated the need for removal to be highest for distoangular and lowest for vertical molars, whereas oral surgeons gave the highest priority to removal of vertical and distoangular molars and the lowest priority to horizontal and mesioangular molars. Molars partially covered by soft tissue were given the highest priority for removal by both groups of judges. The mean proportion of variation for six diseases explained by the cues was high.



Risk for molars of different angular positions and degrees of impaction was calculated from evidence in the literature. The risk, i.e. the odds ratio, for development of pathology was more than 22 times higher for molars partially covered by soft tissue compared with other degrees of impaction, and 5 to 12 times higher for distoangular molars compared with molars in other positions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • unknown], [unknown
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
visual analogue scale, oral surgery, tooth extraction, third molar, linear models, judgment, Decision making, impacted tooth, Odontology, stomatology, Odontologi
in
Swedish Dental Journal Supplement
volume
114
pages
132 pages
defense location
Aulan, Tandvårdshögskolan, Malmö
defense date
1996-05-10 09:15:00
external identifiers
  • other:ISRN: SE-LUODD5/ODOR-96/1003+132 P
ISSN
0348-6672
ISBN
91-628-2005-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
214e16c0-ad19-4515-acb3-bb1686a86447 (old id 28364)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:42:51
date last changed
2019-05-23 17:06:42
@phdthesis{214e16c0-ad19-4515-acb3-bb1686a86447,
  abstract     = {{The aim was to study dentists' judgement on the removal of and on the development of pathology associated with asymptomatic mandibular third molars. Thirty general dental practitioners (GDPs) and 10 oral surgeons were asked to judge 36 molars with equal distribution of three cues: patient's age, angular position and degree of impaction of the molar. Rating on a VAS was found to be an appropriate method to analyse the need for removal of asymptomatic molars.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The number of molars proposed for removal varied between O and 26 for the GDPs and between 3 and 21 for the oral surgeons. There was no molar all judges agreed should be removed. There was a substantial variation between the individual GDP and oral surgeon concerning the relative weight they gave different diseases for the development of pathology. The GDPs, as a group, considered cyst formation and the oral surgeons pericoronitis to be the most influential pathological entity.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Regarding the influence of the cues on the judgement of the need for removal, there was also a considerable variation in the dentists' individual judgements. As a group, the GDPs differentiated between two age-groups, and the oral surgeons differentiated between three age-groups. GDPs estimated the need for removal to be highest for distoangular and lowest for vertical molars, whereas oral surgeons gave the highest priority to removal of vertical and distoangular molars and the lowest priority to horizontal and mesioangular molars. Molars partially covered by soft tissue were given the highest priority for removal by both groups of judges. The mean proportion of variation for six diseases explained by the cues was high.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Risk for molars of different angular positions and degrees of impaction was calculated from evidence in the literature. The risk, i.e. the odds ratio, for development of pathology was more than 22 times higher for molars partially covered by soft tissue compared with other degrees of impaction, and 5 to 12 times higher for distoangular molars compared with molars in other positions.}},
  author       = {{Knutsson, Kerstin}},
  isbn         = {{91-628-2005-2}},
  issn         = {{0348-6672}},
  keywords     = {{visual analogue scale; oral surgery; tooth extraction; third molar; linear models; judgment; Decision making; impacted tooth; Odontology; stomatology; Odontologi}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Swedish Dental Journal Supplement}},
  title        = {{The mandibular third molar. Dentists' judgement in the removal of asymptomatic molars}},
  volume       = {{114}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}