Work Days Missed Following Third Molar Surgery
These days patients expect more beyond the litany of risks and benefits associated with third
molar surgery. Many patients would like to know how many days of work they should expect to
miss from the procedure. In the setting of elective operations, patients may value this information
to optimize scheduling of their procedures.
Purpose
The purposes of this investigation were 1) to estimate the number of work days missed after third
molar removal and 2) to identify prognostic factors associated with prolonged recovery.
Materials and Methods
This was a one year prospective cohort study composed of subjects enrolled in the American
Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Age-Related Third Molar Study. The sample
was derived from a population of patient having at least one third molar extracted between
January 2001 to December 2001. Inclusion criteria called for all patients who have had at
least one third molar extracted and returned for at least one postoperative visit. There were no
exclusion criteria. Participating oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs), blinded to the specific
study aims, completed a Clinical Course Form describing the patient’s demographics, health
status, pre-operative and operative health condition. All participating subjects returned for at
least post-operative visit during which the OMS completed a Follow-Up Form with questions
regarding quality of life, complications and post-operative conditions. The predictor variables
were grouped as follows: demographic, health status, anatomic, pathologic, medications, and
complications. The outcome variable was the duration of postoperative disability measured as
the number of missed work days the subject reported after third molar removal.
Data Analysis
Data were recorded and entered into a standardized electronic database. Descriptive statistics
were computed. Univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were used. The level of
statistical significance at the multiple linear regression was P < .05.
Results
The study sample included 4,004 subjects who had 8,748 third molars removed. The mean
number of work days missed was 1.3 ± 1.3 days (range, 0-11; median, 1 day). In the multiple
linear regression model, smoking, number of third molars removed, adjacent tooth or tissue
pathology, unopposed, hypererupted or non-functional third molars, sum of antibiotics or pain
medications, and complications were associated with prolonged return to work (P < .05). Erupted
third molars, other preoperative pathology, and use of chlorhexidine were associated with earlier
return work (P < .05).
Conclusion
The study results suggested that third molar removal was associated with a mean delay in
returning to work of less than 2 days. Several factors were statistically associated with time to
return to work.
References
1) Bienstock DA, Dodson TB, Perrott DH, Chuang SK. Prognostic Factors Affecting the
Duration of Disability After Third Molar Removal. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
Volume 69, 2011
2) Haug RH, Perrott DH, Gonzalez ML, Talwar RM. The American Association of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgeons Age-Related Third Molar Study. Journal Oral Maxillofacial Surgery,
Volume 63, 2005