Comfort Level and Knowledge of General Dental Practitioners Regarding Third Molar Extraction

Introduction: One of the most commonly performed procedures in dentistry is third molar removal and it is the most commonly extracted permanent tooth. Most of the patient’s first visit was with general dental practitioners about third molar extraction. Hence the possibility of surgical complications must be evaluated against the benefits of the extraction. Aims and Objectives: To assess the level of comfort and knowledge among general dental practitioners regarding third molar extractions. Materials and methods: It is a descriptive cross-sectional study using a questionnaire-based survey. The questionnaire consisted of questions regarding demographic characteristics of general dental practitioners and also their level of comfort and knowledge regarding third molar extractions. Results: Total 142 general dental practitioners out of 177 have completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 80.22%. There was a statistically significant difference between the level of comfort score (H(2)=11.964, p=0.003), with a median of 24 for general dental practitioners with an experience of more than 10 years, and median of 18 for those with an experience between 5-10 years and median of 12 for those with an experience up to 5 years. There was a statistically significant difference (p=0.001). Conclusion: General dental practitioners in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia have reported a very low level of comfort regarding third molar extraction. They reported infrequent training and education in third molar extraction skills and knowledge. Those who attended continuous dental education courses and workshops related to third molar extraction in the past 2 years and those with more than 5 years of experience were significantly associated with a higher level of comfort among general dental practitioners.