Do Race and Ethnicity Affect the Age When Third Molars are Extracted?

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Health Services Research
• Health Equity

Background:

• Socioeconomic and racial factors can impede access to healthcare, potentially impacting oral health outcomes.
• Delayed management of third molars is associated with increased risks of complications.
• Large-scale studies on race, ethnicity, and the timing of third molar extractions are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between race, ethnicity, and the age of third molar extractions.
• To explore the relationship between race, ethnicity, and postoperative complications following third molar extraction.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study of 3,933 patients undergoing third molar extraction at Boston Children's Hospital (April 2011-March 2021).
• Race and ethnicity were primary predictor variables; age at extraction and postoperative complications were primary and secondary outcomes, respectively.
• Statistical analyses included descriptive, univariate, and multivariate methods, controlling for covariates like gender, insurance, and preoperative symptoms.

Main Results:

• White patients were older at extraction (18.8 years) than non-White patients (18.2 years; P < .001).
• Black or African American patients (18.1 years) and Hispanic patients (18.1 years) were younger at extraction compared to other groups.
• Black patients reported more preoperative symptoms (46.2%), while White patients had more postoperative complications (7.7%), and Black patients had fewer (2.7%).

Conclusions:

• The study found no evidence of inadequate access to third molar removal for under-represented racial and ethnic groups.
• Patients from these communities experienced a lower rate of complications, suggesting that the quality of care was not compromised.