JUDGMENT ON REMOVAL OF ASYMPTOMATIC MANDIBULAR 3RD MOLARS - INFLUENCEOF POSITION, DEGREE OF IMPACTION, AND PATIENTS AGE

Our aim was to study general dental practitioners' (GDPs') and oral su rgeons' judgement of the need for removal of asymptomatic mandibular t hird molars, described by three cues. The judges were also asked to es timate the development of pathologic conditions. There was considerabl e variance with regard to the individual judgements. As a group, GDPs estimated the need for removal to be higher for patients less than 40 years than those more than 40 years old. The oral surgeons estimated t he need to differ for three different age groups. The GDPs estimated t he need to be highest for distoangular molars and lowest for vertical molars, whereas the oral surgeons estimated these positions to be equa l. Molars partially covered by soft tissue were given the highest prio rity for removal by both groups of judges. The mean proportion of vari ation explained by the three cues was high, except for tumor developme nt, indicating that the judges used the cues and the combination of th em to a great extent in their judgement of the risk for development of pathologic conditions.