Caitlin B.L. Magraw

Prevalence of Visible Third Molars in the United States Population: How Many Individuals Have Third Molars?

PURPOSE To determine the prevalence of third molars in the US population and to report the differences in prevalence of visible third molars in the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) population of 2011 through 2012 by participant, jaw, and demographics. MATERIALS AND METHODS The number of visible third molars in the NHANES data was assessed in nonclinical settings by trained, calibrated dental hygienists by decade of age beginning in the 20- to 29-year-old cohort through the 70- to 79-year-old cohort. Cross-sectional analyses of third molar data were conducted by the authors from the NHANES databases of 2001 through 2002, 2009 through 2010, and 2011 through 2012 to compare data for similarity of outcomes on third molar prevalence in the US population. Outcomes on third molar prevalence also were assessed from the NHANES of 2011 through 2012 by participant, jaw, and demographics: gender, race or ethnicity (Caucasian, African American, other), and education (less than high school, high school graduate, some college, college graduate). RESULTS Data on the mean number of third molars from NHANES of 2001 through 2002, 2009 through 2010, and 2011 through 2012 were similar. The number of visible third molars in the NHANES of 2011 through 2012 decreased progressively from a mean of 1.48 in the 20- to 29-year-old cohort to 0.81 in the 60- to 69-year-old cohort, No visible third molars were observed in 47% of the 20- to 29-year-old cohort compared with 53% in the 50- to 59-year-old cohort. Participants who were male, non-Caucasian, and had less than a high school education were more likely to have a visible third molar in all age cohorts. No data were collected by NHANES examiners to determine why third molars were absent. CONCLUSION Third molar prevalence did not appear to differ in the US population during the first decade of the 21st century. Numbers of visible third molars, prevalent in young adults, decreased progressively through each successive age cohort. Demographic differences exist for prevalence of third molars in the US population.

Changes in scleral exposure following modified Le Fort III osteotomy

OBJECTIVE The Kufner modified Le Fort III osteotomy (LFIII) can be used to address midface deficiency, which is often accompanied by excessive scleral exposure. The purpose of this project is to analyze the changes in scleral exposure after a LFIII. METHODS Thirteen patients with midface hypoplasia were treated with LFIII. Scleral surface area (SSA) was determined by pixel count and the distance from the inferior eyelid margin to the center of the pupil (MED) was measured pre- and postoperatively. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to assess measurement reliability and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were determined to assess systematic difference among the replicates. RESULTS The interquartile range for change in SSA ranged from -31% to -7%, median 20% (P = .002) and the interquartile range for change in MED ranged from -21% to -12%, median -18% (P = .0002). CONCLUSIONS SSA and MED can be reliably determined using the aforementioned method. The LFIII decreases scleral exposure.

A multimodal analgesic protocol may reduce opioid use after third molar surgery: A pilot study

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to assess the number of opioid doses available to patients from filled prescriptions after adoption, in 2017, of a multimodal analgesic protocol that included opioid prescribing to manage postoperative pain. STUDY DESIGN Data were retrieved from records of the first 24 patients having third molar surgery in 2017 identified from appointment schedules. Inclusion criteria were American Society of Anesthesiologists risk classification I or II, age 18 to 35 years, and at least 2 lower third molars removed. The exclusion criterion was being treated for opioid addiction/abuse. The primary outcome variable was the number of opioid doses filled by prescriptions at each patients discretion. The primary predictor variable was the multimodal analgesic protocol. RESULTS Data from records of 24 consecutive patients were analyzed; 83% were females. Median age was 25 years (interquartile range [IQR] 12-29 years). Median surgery time was 35 minutes (IQR 27-32 minutes). The median number of opioid doses filled in 2017 was 4 (IQR 0-4). CONCLUSIONS The outcomes from this pilot study suggest that implementation of a multimodal analgesic protocol to manage postoperative pain, while limiting the number of opioid doses available to the patient, may be an effective strategy for a wider range of patients and procedures.

Special contribution: Third molar clinical trials annotated bibliography

PURPOSE To provide clinicians with an annotated bibliography of published articles from research funded externally by the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation, spanning 1996 to 2015, addressing the topic of third molar management. MATERIALS AND METHODS A brief summary for each article was generated by the respective authors. RESULTS The complete annotated bibliography generated by the authors is included in the Appendix. CONCLUSION The annotated bibliography provides clinicians and other interested individuals with a summary of current literature emanating from clinical studies on third molar topics.