ArticleClinical oral investigations2024
Is the third molar the most frequently extracted tooth? A population-based study utilizing dental panoramic radiographs in adults.
Article in Clinical oral investigations, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effectiveness of topical vacuum assisted drainage in mandibular third molar surgeries: a randomized controlled clinical study.BMC oral health · 2025Trial
- Reasons for tooth extraction in a Swedish county dental service: a 5-year longitudinal cohort study with focus on endodontic pathology.BDJ open · 2026Article
- Factors Influencing the Choice of Conservative and Surgical Procedures in Dental Patients from Poland: A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe study aimed to examine the authenticity of the often-mentioned statement that the third molar is the most frequently extracted tooth. This finding has not been shown previously in a large population-based sample. MATERIALS AND
methodsData comprised a nationally representative sample of 6082 panoramic radiographs taken from adults in the cross-sectional Health 2000 Survey. From the radiographs, all missing teeth were recorded. Information on congenital agenesis of individual teeth was retrieved from two published meta-analyses. Primary outcome was the frequency of missing teeth by tooth type. Explanatory variables were age, sex, and the jaw (maxilla/mandible). Statistical analyses included χ
resultsMean age of participants (46% men, 54% women) was 53 years (SD 14.6; range 30‒97 years). Missing teeth occurred more often in women than in men (P < 0.001). The third molar was most frequently missing and the canine least frequently. In the maxilla and mandible, the third molar was missing more often than each of the other tooth types up to the age of 80 years (P < 0.01).
conclusionsWhen considering the rates of congenital agenesis of individual teeth, it is concluded that the third molar remained the most common tooth extracted up till the age of 80 years. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The third molar is the most common target for extraction, but also the most common tooth associated with malpractice claims, and therefore, calls for skills, adequate equipment, and other resources for a successful extraction.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.