Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jun;24(30):1-116.
doi: 10.3310/hta24300.

Prophylactic removal of impacted mandibular third molars: a systematic review and economic evaluation

Juliet Hounsome  1 , Gerlinde Pilkington  1 , James Mahon  2 , Angela Boland  1 , Sophie Beale  1 , Eleanor Kotas  1 , Tara Renton  3 , Rumona Dickson  1
Affiliations

Prophylactic removal of impacted mandibular third molars: a systematic review and economic evaluation

Juliet Hounsome et al. Health Technol Assess. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Impacted third molars are third molars that are blocked, by soft tissue or bone, from fully erupting through the gum. This can cause pain and disease. The treatment options for people with impacted third molars are removal or retention with standard care. If there are pathological changes, the current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance states that the impacted third molar should be removed.

Objective: The objective of this study was to appraise the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the prophylactic removal of impacted mandibular third molars compared with retention of, and standard care for, impacted third molars.

Methods: Five electronic databases were searched (1999 to 29 April 2016) to identify relevant evidence [The Cochrane Library (searched 4 April 2016 and 29 April 2016), MEDLINE (searched 4 April 2016 and 29 April 2016), EMBASE (searched 4 April 2016 and 29 April 2016), EconLit (searched 4 April 2016 and 29 April 2016) and NHS Economic Evaluation Database (searched 4 April 2016)]. Studies that compared the prophylactic removal of impacted mandibular third molars with retention and standard care or studies that assessed the outcomes from either approach were included. The clinical outcomes considered were pathology associated with retention, post-operative complications following extraction and adverse effects of treatment. Cost-effectiveness outcomes included UK costs and health-related quality-of-life measures. In addition, the assessment group constructed a de novo economic model to compare the cost-effectiveness of a prophylactic removal strategy with that of retention and standard care.

Results: The clinical review identified four cohort studies and nine systematic reviews. In the two studies that reported on surgical complications, no serious complications were reported. Pathological changes due to retention of asymptomatic impacted mandibular third molars were reported by three studies. In these studies, the extraction rate for retained impacted mandibular third molars varied from 5.5% to 31.4%; this variation can be explained by the differing follow-up periods (i.e. 1 and 5 years). The findings from this review are consistent with the findings from previous systematic reviews. Two published cost-effectiveness studies were identified. The authors of both studies concluded that, to their knowledge, there is currently no economic evidence to support the prophylactic removal of impacted mandibular third molars. The results generated by the assessment group's lifetime economic model indicated that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio per quality-adjusted life-year gained for the comparison of a prophylactic removal strategy with a retention and standard care strategy is £11,741 for people aged 20 years with asymptomatic impacted mandibular third molars. The incremental cost per person associated with prophylactic extraction is £55.71, with an incremental quality-adjusted life-year gain of 0.005 per person. The base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio per quality-adjusted life-year gained was found to be robust when a range of sensitivity and scenario analyses were carried out.

Limitations: Limitations of the study included that no head-to-head trials comparing the effectiveness of prophylactic removal of impacted mandibular third molars with retention and standard care were identified with the assessment group model that was built on observational data. Utility data on impacted mandibular third molars and their symptoms are lacking.

Conclusions: The evidence comparing the prophylactic removal of impacted mandibular third molars with retention and standard care is very limited. However, the results from an exploratory assessment group model, which uses available evidence on symptom development and extraction rates of retained impacted mandibular third molars, suggest that prophylactic removal may be the more cost-effective strategy.

Future work: Effectiveness evidence is lacking. Head-to-head trials comparing the prophylactic removal of trouble-free impacted mandibular third molars with retention and watchful waiting are required. If this is not possible, routine clinical data, using common definitions and outcome reporting methods, should be collected.

Study registration: This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42016037776.

Funding: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 24, No. 30. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Keywords: ECONOMIC EVALUATION; IMPACTED THIRD MOLARS; IMPACTED WISDOM TEETH; PROPHYLACTIC REMOVAL; SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.

Plain language summary

Third molars, commonly known as wisdom teeth, may come through the gum (erupt) without any problems, usually during young adulthood (aged 18–24 years). However, in some cases they are unable to erupt because they are poorly aligned or obstructed by other teeth, gums or bone. They are then referred to as ‘impacted’. Historically, dentists often recommended that these teeth be removed, so as not to cause problems later in life. This is referred to as ‘prophylactic’ removal. In 2000, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence reviewed this practice and recommended that these teeth should not be removed if they are not bothersome to the person. Many dentists and oral surgeons have disagreed with this decision, believing that it is more difficult to remove these teeth later in life, and that there are more complications for the patient if they are removed later in life. Our review group carried out a systematic review of the available clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness evidence of the prophylactic removal of impacted third molars. The review identified four clinical studies, none of which provided strong evidence for or against the prophylactic removal of these teeth. These findings are similar to those of nine previous reviews. There is also very little research reported that relates to the cost-effectiveness of the procedure, with only three studies identified. With the available evidence on the rates of extraction and the symptoms experienced by people who keep their impacted mandibular third molar, we built an exploratory economic model to assess the cost-effectiveness of recommending prophylactic removal compared with that of recommending watchful waiting. Results from the model suggested that a prophylactic removal strategy costs more than a watchful waiting strategy, but leads to improvements in quality of life. When the costs and quality-of-life measures that are associated with the two strategies are compared, the resulting statistic is £11,741 per quality-adjusted life-year gained, which would probably be good value for money for the NHS.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Tara Renton is a stakeholder for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence appraisal associated with this publication.

References

    1. Rafetto LK. Controversy, evidence, and third molar management. Atlas Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am 2012;20:253–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cxom.2012.06.004 doi: 10.1016/j.cxom.2012.06.004. - DOI - PubMed
    1. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Guidance on the Extraction of Wisdom Teeth: NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance [TA1]. London: NICE; 2000.
    1. Kandasamy S, Rinchuse DJ, Rinchuse DJ. The wisdom behind third molar extractions. Aust Dent J 2009;54:284–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1834-7819.2009.01152.x doi: 10.1111/j.1834-7819.2009.01152.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Flick WG. The third molar controversy: framing the controversy as a public health policy issue. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1999;57:438–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0278-2391(99)90285-9 doi: 10.1016/S0278-2391(99)90285-9. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dodson TB. Management of Asymptomatic Wisdom Teeth: An Evidence-Based Approach. In: Bagheri S, Bell B, Khan H, editors. Current Therapy in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. St Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders; 2012. pp. 122–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-4160-2527-6.00013-X doi: 10.1016/B978-1-4160-2527-6.00013-X. - DOI

Publication types