The Evaluation of Further Complications after the Extraction of the Third Molar Germ: A Pilot Study in Paediatric Dentistry

Piezosurgery versus conventional osteotomy: a randomized clinical trial on pain and anxiety in children with unerupted mandibular third molars

OBJECTIVE

Dental anxiety for unerupted mandibular third molars extraction in children under local anesthesia is a tricky problem. The purpose of this study was to compare psychological and physiologic findings of extractions of unerupted mandibular third molars in children by piezosurgery and conventional osteotomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective, single-center, double-blind study included children who required extraction of mandibular third molars under local anesthesia. All subjects were randomly divided into two groups: piezosurgery and conventional osteotomy (control). The primary outcome variables were dental anxiety assessed by the Modified Child Fear Survey Schedule Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) and postoperative pain qualified by the visual analog scale (VAS). Secondary outcome variables included blood pressure, heart rate, saturation, and operation duration. The data were analyzed by t-test and chi-square test (P ≤ 0.05).

RESULTS

All 40 study patients (37.5% males and 62.5% females with an average age of 14.43 ± 1.32 years) completed the entire trial. There were no statistically significant differences observed between the two groups in terms of gender allocation, age, side of extraction, and Winter's Classification (P > 0.05). The operation duration of the piezosurgery group was significantly longer than the conventional osteotomy group (P < 0.01). The VAS scores showed that pain levels of children in the piezosurgery group were significantly less than the conventional osteotomy group on the first and third days postoperatively (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). The CFSS-DS score in the piezosurgery group significantly decreased compared to the conventional osteotomy group (P < 0.05). Compared with the conventional osteotomy group, a significant decrease in heart rate, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures were observed after extraction in the piezosurgery group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Compared with conventional osteotomy, piezosurgery can effectively reduce postoperative pain and have some effect in relieving dental anxiety for the extraction of unerupted mandibular third molars in children.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Piezosurgery may be a viable technique for the extraction of unerupted mandibular third molars in children under local anesthesia.

Fully Guided Tooth Bud Ablation in Pigs Results in Complete Tooth Bud Removal and Molar Agenesis

PURPOSE

Fully guided microwave tooth bud ablation has the potential to become a minimally invasive means for managing third molars in adolescent patients. If developed, this new modality could provide improved outcomes and reduced complications compared to traditional third molar management strategies. The purpose of this 28-day longitudinal characterization study was to determine if the healing response following fully guided microwave ablation of second molar tooth buds in juvenile pigs would result in the complete removal of targeted tooth bud tissues, molar agenesis, and no significant collateral tissue damage.

METHODS

Investigators performed fully guided microwave ablation on 24 mandibular second molar tooth buds (#18 and #31) in seven-week-old pigs. Postablation healing assessment consisted of radiographic and histological evaluation of 3 subcohorts (consisting of 4 animals each) at 7-, 14- and 28-days post ablation. Controls were untreated, opposing maxillary second molar tooth buds. Neurological assessment was performed to determine if there was any detectible loss of inferior alveolar nerve function.

RESULTS

Healing processes were nearly complete at 28 days post ablation. While one tooth bud was identified as partially ablated at 14 days post treatment, all treated tooth bud tissues were replaced with trabecular new bone formation by the end of this study. There was no detectible loss of inferior alveolar nerve function. The thermal dosing strategy used in this study appears to deliver prescribed ablation volumes and-within the context of this animal model-there was no detected collateral tissue damage.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study confirm the hypothesis that healing processes following fully guided tooth bud ablation resulted in removal of targeted tooth bud tissues, complete molar agenesis, and trabecular new bone growth at 28-days post treatment.

Clinical Indications to Germectomy in Pediatric Dentistry: A Systematic Review

Germectomy is a procedure often required in patients at developmental age. It is defined as the surgical removal of the third molar at a very specific stage of development. The aim of this study was to systematically analyze the literature in terms of clinical indications for germectomy in patients at developmental age. Literature searches were performed using PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and Scopus from 1952 to 30 June 2021. The study protocol was registered after the screening stage (PROSPERO CRD42021262949). The search strategy identified 3829 articles: 167 from PubMed, 2860 from Google Scholar, 799 from Cochrane Library and 3 from Scopus. Finally, eight full-text papers were included into the qualitative analysis. Based on the included studies, clinical indications for germectomy were mainly related to orthodontic causes, infectious and cariogenic causes and prophylaxis. Based on these results, it is not possible to present evidence-based clinical indications for germectomy in patients at developmental age. Clinical trials on this subject focused specifically on patients at developmental age are awaited.