Standardized coronectomy versus total extraction for impacted mandibular third molars: a single-blinded prospective analysis of patient-reported outcomes

IntroductionCoronectomy is proposed as an alternative to surgical extraction for impacted mandibular third molars, particularly in cases with an elevated surgical risk of inferior alveolar nerve injury. However, this procedure is not widely adopted by many surgeons due to concerns about potential co...

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Main Authors: Khalid Al-Ali, Roba Saqan, Sarah Alkhazraji, Kamis Gaballah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Oral Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/froh.2025.1647852/full
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author Khalid Al-Ali
Roba Saqan
Sarah Alkhazraji
Kamis Gaballah
author_facet Khalid Al-Ali
Roba Saqan
Sarah Alkhazraji
Kamis Gaballah
author_sort Khalid Al-Ali
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionCoronectomy is proposed as an alternative to surgical extraction for impacted mandibular third molars, particularly in cases with an elevated surgical risk of inferior alveolar nerve injury. However, this procedure is not widely adopted by many surgeons due to concerns about potential complications and the perception that patients may be less likely to accept this treatment option.MethodsThis cross-sectional, prospective, single-blinded study compared patient-reported outcomes between standardized coronectomy and extraction of impacted mandibular third molars in 70 patients (aged 19–55 years) using the Postoperative Symptom Severity (PoSSe) scale.ResultsWhile coronectomy avoided nerve injury, it resulted in relatively longer recovery times (40% vs. 28.6% requiring ≥5 days) and prolonged medication use (34.3% vs. 14.3% >5 days) compared to extraction. Coronectomy patients reported significantly higher pain and swelling scores, particularly among females (>25 years), though neither procedure adversely affected eating, speech, or quality of life. Gender and age influenced outcomes, with females and older patients experiencing more pronounced postoperative morbidity after coronectomy.DiscussionThese findings underscore the need for demographic-specific counseling and tailored postoperative care when selecting coronectomy. Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to validate these findings and optimize decision-making for mandibular third molar surgeries.
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spelling doaj-art-5ac6411e2fa04b0c8543c5a91ffc18b12025-08-21T14:23:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oral Health2673-48422025-08-01610.3389/froh.2025.16478521647852Standardized coronectomy versus total extraction for impacted mandibular third molars: a single-blinded prospective analysis of patient-reported outcomesKhalid Al-Ali0Roba Saqan1Sarah Alkhazraji2Kamis Gaballah3Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesHealth Promotion Research Group, Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesIntroductionCoronectomy is proposed as an alternative to surgical extraction for impacted mandibular third molars, particularly in cases with an elevated surgical risk of inferior alveolar nerve injury. However, this procedure is not widely adopted by many surgeons due to concerns about potential complications and the perception that patients may be less likely to accept this treatment option.MethodsThis cross-sectional, prospective, single-blinded study compared patient-reported outcomes between standardized coronectomy and extraction of impacted mandibular third molars in 70 patients (aged 19–55 years) using the Postoperative Symptom Severity (PoSSe) scale.ResultsWhile coronectomy avoided nerve injury, it resulted in relatively longer recovery times (40% vs. 28.6% requiring ≥5 days) and prolonged medication use (34.3% vs. 14.3% >5 days) compared to extraction. Coronectomy patients reported significantly higher pain and swelling scores, particularly among females (>25 years), though neither procedure adversely affected eating, speech, or quality of life. Gender and age influenced outcomes, with females and older patients experiencing more pronounced postoperative morbidity after coronectomy.DiscussionThese findings underscore the need for demographic-specific counseling and tailored postoperative care when selecting coronectomy. Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to validate these findings and optimize decision-making for mandibular third molar surgeries.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/froh.2025.1647852/fullthird molarimpactionsurgical extractioncoronectomyquality of life
spellingShingle Khalid Al-Ali
Roba Saqan
Sarah Alkhazraji
Kamis Gaballah
Standardized coronectomy versus total extraction for impacted mandibular third molars: a single-blinded prospective analysis of patient-reported outcomes
Frontiers in Oral Health
third molar
impaction
surgical extraction
coronectomy
quality of life
title Standardized coronectomy versus total extraction for impacted mandibular third molars: a single-blinded prospective analysis of patient-reported outcomes
title_full Standardized coronectomy versus total extraction for impacted mandibular third molars: a single-blinded prospective analysis of patient-reported outcomes
title_fullStr Standardized coronectomy versus total extraction for impacted mandibular third molars: a single-blinded prospective analysis of patient-reported outcomes
title_full_unstemmed Standardized coronectomy versus total extraction for impacted mandibular third molars: a single-blinded prospective analysis of patient-reported outcomes
title_short Standardized coronectomy versus total extraction for impacted mandibular third molars: a single-blinded prospective analysis of patient-reported outcomes
title_sort standardized coronectomy versus total extraction for impacted mandibular third molars a single blinded prospective analysis of patient reported outcomes
topic third molar
impaction
surgical extraction
coronectomy
quality of life
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/froh.2025.1647852/full
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