Abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by Dr Trevor Watts
Abstract
Quality of life (QoL) deteriorated immediately after surgery, but was improved later.
Main
McGrath C, Comfort MB et al. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2003; 61: 759–763
This was a prospective study of QoL in 100 patients undergoing surgery to remove a single mandibular third molar. Patients completed 2 questionnaires (Oral Health Impact Profile-14, and UK Oral Health-related QoL measure) on the day of surgery and kept a recovery diary for 7 days. They were then followed up for 6 months. Twelve subjects dropped out of the study.
Both questionnaires indicated deterioration of QoL in the week after surgery, but by 1 month, there was an improvement which continued to 6 months. Around 20–30% of subjects experienced improvement in a wide range of QoL factors, such as comfort, halitosis, oral, individual and social activities. The authors make the point that these improvements were likely to be clinically significant, and the main effect was to reduce the burden of negative experiences associated with the teeth which were removed.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Can third molar surgery improve quality of life? A 6-month cohort study. Br Dent J 195, 659 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4810788
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4810788