How dentists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons deal with tooth extraction without a valid clinical indication.

OBJECTIVES: This study pertains to a secondary data analysis aimed at determining differences between oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFSs) and dentists handling dental extractions without an evident clinical indication. STUDY DESIGN: A survey of 18 questions was conducted among 256 OMFSs in the Netherlands and a random sample of 800 dentists Respondents could answer the questions in writing or online. The data was collected in the period from November 2019 to January 2020, during which two reminders were sent. Analysis of the data took place via descriptive statistics and Chi Square test. RESULTS: The response rate was 28.1% (n = 72) for OMFSs and 30.3% (n = 242) for dentists. In the past three years, 81.9% (n = 59) of the OMFSs and 68.0% (n = 164) of the dentists received a request for extraction without a clinical indication. The most common reasons were financial and severe dental fear (OMFSs: 64.9 and 50.9% vs dentists: 77.4 and 36.5%). Dentists were significantly more likely (75.6%, n = 114) than OMFS (60.7%, n = 34) to comply with their last extraction request without a clinical indication. Almost none of them regretted the extraction afterwards. As for the request itself, it was found that 17.5% (n = 10) of the OMFSs and 12.5% (n = 20) of the dentists did not check for patients' mental competency (p = 0.352). CONCLUSIONS: Given that most of the interviewed dental professionals complied with non-dental extraction requests when such extractions are ethically and legally precarious, recommendations for handling such requests are greatly needed.

Financial, psychological, or cultural reasons for extracting healthy or restorable teeth.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine how often dental patients request extraction for nondental reasons and how dentists handle such requests. METHODS: The authors conducted a survey among 800 Dutch dentists from November 17, 2019, through January 5, 2020. The questionnaire contained 17 items, including a hypothetical case vingette. RESULTS: A total of 242 dentists responded to the survey (response rate was 30.3%, 48.3% of respondents were women, and mean [standard deviation] age was 45.3 [11.8] years). Sixty-eight percent of respondents reported that they had been confronted with a request for extraction on nondental grounds in the past 3 years. One-half of these dentists received such a request 5 times or fewer, 21.3% received such a request 6 through 10 times, 11.3% received such a request 11 through 20 times, and 8.8% received such a request 21 through 30 times. Their most recent request concerned a financial reason (49.7%), a combination of psychological and financial reasons (27.7%), a psychological reason (18.2%), or another reason (4.4%). Most dentists (87.5%) evaluated the patient's competency to make health care decisions. Of all nondental extraction requests, 75.6% (n = 114) were granted. Only 4.0% (n = 6) of the dentists regretted the extraction. Most dentists (82.0%, n = 191) would have refused the extraction in the hypothetical case vignette. CONCLUSIONS: Nondental requests for extraction are relatively common. Although dentists are reluctant in theory, they are likely to grant such requests in everyday practice, particularly if the patient cannot afford an indicated conservative treatment. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dentists should keep in mind that they cannot ethically or legally be required to perform an intervention deemed harmful, even if an autonomous patient made the request.