Recovery after third molar surgery: clinical and health-related quality of life outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
The study goal was to assess both clinical and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes after third molar surgery.


METHODS
Patients who were having 4 third molars removed were enrolled in a prospective clinical trial. Baseline data were recorded that included demographics, the patient's and surgeon's assessment of third molar conditions, and details of the surgical procedure. After surgery, clinical data were collected that detailed healing and any treatment that was rendered. Each patient was given an HRQOL instrument to complete on each postsurgery day for 14 days; the instrument was designed to assess a patient's perception of recovery in 4 main categories: pain, lifestyle, oral function, and other symptoms related to the procedure.


RESULTS
Recovery data were available for 630 of 740 enrolled patients. The median age of the 630 patients was 21 years, and the median operation time was 30 minutes. Recovery for most HRQOL measures occurred within 5 days after surgery. However, recovery from pain to the criterion of "little or none" was delayed relative to other HRQOL measures. Twenty-two percent of patients were treated for delayed healing after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Having both clinical and HRQOL data on recovery after third molar surgery could assist the surgeon when informing prospective patients about what to expect after surgery to remove third molars.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450, USA. ray_white@dentistry.unc.edu
Raymond P
RP
White
Daniel A
DA
Shugars
David M
DM
Shafer
Daniel M
DM
Laskin
Michael J
MJ
Buckley
Ceib
C
Phillips
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery*; D009055:Mouth / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing