The third molar question: to extract or not to extract.
Self-interest, moralists suggest, strongly influences people's behavior. To test the possible effect on dentists, we asked four groups--oral surgeons, periodontists, general practitioners, and orthodontists--to evaluate the need for removal of third molars in three cases. As expected, oral surgeons, who had the most to gain, recommended extraction at a significantly higher rate than the other groups. We found a direct hierarchical relationship between the degree of surgical orientation of a group and its likelihood to see a need for extraction.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D009970:Orthodontics; D010517:Periodontics; D011859:Radiography; D013515:Surgery, Oral; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014097:Tooth, Unerupted / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery