Epidemiological Study on the Surgical Removal of Third Molars

The aim of this study is to get a clear view on current practice of surgical third molar removal in Belgium and the association with morbidity and complications.

For this prospective cohort study, patients who visit the outpatient department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University Hospitals Leuven or hospitals affiliated with the Flemish Hospital Network will be participating. All included patients are referred from primary dental providers for the surgical removal of one or more third molars. Before participating, written informed consent will be recorded from all eligible subjects.

Patients consult one of the oral and maxillofacial surgeons or residents working on the department of the University Hospitals Leuven for the removal of third molars. In the standard procedure, patients are not routinely clinically monitored after one week at the department.

Pre-operative, operative and postoperative data will be collected through a questionnaire, extracted data from the patient's medical file and panoramic radiography. The surgeon's individual operation technique will be registered through a one-off questionnaire. The questionnaires are taken at the same time of consultation and includes a maximum of 8 questions per time and are considered as non-invasive and a minimal burden for the patient. Postoperatively, patients record their recovery status and ability to resume daily- and work activities at day 3 and 10 by using a dairy system and, if necessary, revisit the outpatient department of oral and maxillofacial surgery.