Mandibular third molar germectomy: case report

Abstract

Third molars are often removed in order to prevent complications and various other problems associated with impacted teeth. A healthy 17-year-old girl with no history was referred to the Department of Oral Surgery by her orthodontist to remove mandibular third-molar germs. Panoramic radiography showed the presence of impacted mandibular third-molar germs, vertically positioned, with incomplete root formation. The tooth germs (48, 38) were extracted under local-regional anesthesia. The postoperative period was uneventful. Germectomy is still relevant in the management of mandibular third molars (MTM). It is a surgical removal of the dental germ at a particularly specific developmental period. However, the need to extract the MTM germs is still controversial. Germectomy is well justified in light of clinical symptomatology and/or a suspicious radiographic image. Nonetheless, in asymptomatic MTM, it is important to assess the procedure’s cost-benefit ratio.