title: General practitioners' and dental students' decisions on third-molar diagnoses, treatment, and referrals.
abstract: A questionnaire on third-molar problems was mailed to a systematic random sample of 200 Norwegian general dental practitioners in November 1991. The return rate was 88%. Similar questions were given to 59 5th-year dental students, with a return rate of 83%. Ten third-molar cases were presented by means of copies of radiographs and written information. The following conclusions were drawn: Apart from a terminology problem consisting of lack of discrimination between the terms retention and impaction, overall good diagnostic abilities were shown by both practitioners and students. Receiver operating characteristic analysis of treatment decisions indicated that students were more radical than practitioners. The students had an increased referral rate for third-molar surgery, whereas the practitioners indicated a more selective practice of referring advanced cases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine, Faculty of Odontology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: T I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Berge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003803:Dentigerous Cyst / Q000175:diagnosis; D003815:Dentists; D003945:Diagnosis, Oral / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008964:Molar, Third; D010497:Pericoronitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013335:Students, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000175:diagnosis; D014097:Tooth, Unerupted / Q000175:diagnosis