Complications in third molar removal: A retrospective study of 588 patients

2010

Objectives: Surgical removal of third molars is a regular surgical procedure, which like all operations, may have complications. The purpose of the study was to analyze the incidence of complications and their relationship with the surgical difficulty in a group of 588 patients treated by the same oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Study design: This retrospective cohort study consisted of 1699 third molars (M3) removed between 2005 and 2008. The teeth were grouped into a 6-class scale of surgical difficulty rated according to the surgical procedure description in the patient?s file: I: upper M3 requiring forceps only; II: upper M3 requiring osteotomy; III: upper M3 requiring osteotomy and too…