title: Managing Impacted Third Molars.
abstract: Oral and maxillofacial surgeons can be reasonably certain of the behavior of wisdom teeth and the outcomes of different management strategies. An organized approach based on symptom and disease status simplifies management recommendations. The patients who provide the greatest challenge to certainty are those whose wisdom teeth are asymptomatic and disease free. Patients who elect to retain a third molar should be advised about this risk of removal over time. Given the increased complication rate when third molars are removed with increasing age, it may be prudent to extract them by the middle of the third decade.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery & Hospital Dentistry, Christiana Care Health System, 3512 Silverside Road, Suite 12, Wilmington, DE 19810, USA. Electronic address: lkrafetto@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Louis K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Rafetto
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D006801:Humans; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Asymptomatic; Disease free; Management strategies; Retention; Third molars