Extraction versus nonextraction management of third molars.

Surgical removal of impacted third molars is the most commonly performed procedure by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. The removal of diseased or symptomatic third molars has not been an issue of controversy. The risk of surgery and associated complications are justified and uniformly accepted by most surgeons when the teeth are associated with chronic or acute pathologic processes, including caries, nonrestorable teeth, fractured roots, resorption, associated pathologic conditions (cysts, tumors), periapical abscesses, odontogenic infections, osteomyelitis, removal before reconstructive or ablative surgery, and radiation therapy.