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
. 2023 Jul 17:7:71.
doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17673.2. eCollection 2022.

An observational analysis of risk factors associated with symptomatic third molar teeth

Douglas Bruce  1 , Tom Dudding  1   2 , Mark Gormley  1   2 , Rebecca C Richmond  2 , Simon Haworth  1   2
Affiliations

An observational analysis of risk factors associated with symptomatic third molar teeth

Douglas Bruce et al. Wellcome Open Res. .

Abstract

Background: Third molar teeth (wisdom teeth) are a common cause of pain and infection in young adults. The study aimed to describe the prevalence of symptomatic third molar teeth and identify factors which predispose to third molar symptoms in a birth cohort.

Methods: An observational study was undertaken nested in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a birth cohort based in south west England. The main outcomes were self-reported third molar pain, swelling and treatment for third molar problems, taken from questionnaires completed at age 23 years. The exposures including sex, dental history, socioeconomic status, diet, and genetic factors were obtained from earlier ALSPAC data.

Results: In total 4,222 ALSPAC participants responded to one or more questions about third molar teeth. The final sample included more female participants than male participants. The majority of participants (56.6%) reported at least one episode of pain associated with their third molars. Females had greater odds than males of reporting swelling (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.97; 95%confidence interval (CI) 1.56, 2.51), pain (adjusted OR=1.96; 95%CI 1.56, 2.51) and receiving both non-surgical and surgical treatment (adjusted OR=2.30; 95%CI 1.62, 3.35, adjusted OR=1.54; 95%CI 1.17, 2.06 respectively). Participants with previously filled teeth had greater odds of third molar extraction. There were no strong associations between index of multiple deprivation (IMD) score or sugar intake and the third molar outcomes. There was weak evidence for a genetic contribution to third molar pain.

Conclusions: Symptomatic third molars are common in this age group, with over half of the participants reporting pain or other symptoms. Female participants had greater odds for third molar pain, swelling and treatment.

Keywords: ALSPAC; Third molars; genetics; pericoronitis; risk factors; wisdom teeth.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No competing interests were disclosed.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Flow chart of the final study sample.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Swift JQ, Nelson WJ: The Nature of Third Molars: Are Third Molars Different than Other Teeth? Atlas Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2012;20(2):159–62. 10.1016/j.cxom.2012.07.003 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Singh N, Chaudhari S, Chaudhari R, et al. : A radiographic survey of agenesis of the third molar: A panoramic study. J Forensic Dent Sci. 2017;9(3):130–134. - PMC - PubMed
    1. McArdle LW, Jones J, McDonald F: Characteristics of disease related to mesio-angular mandibular third molar teeth. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2019;57(4):306–11. 10.1016/j.bjoms.2019.02.002 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Guerisoli DM, de Souza RA, de Sousa Neto MD, et al. : External and internal anatomy of third molars. Braz Dent J. 1998;9(2):91–4. - PubMed
    1. Celikoglu M, Miloglu O, Kazanci F: Frequency of agenesis, impaction, angulation, and related pathologic changes of third molar teeth in orthodontic patients. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2010;68(5):990–5. 10.1016/j.joms.2009.07.063 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources