Should Third Molars Be Extracted to Reduce MAF Risk?

Background: As mandibular fractures (MFs) are the second most common facial fracture, practitioners have sought to assess what factors may be associated with various fracture patterns. Objective: To assess if there is an association with the presence of or lack of mandibular third molars (M3M) and mandibular angle fractures (MAFs) or condyle fractures (CFs) and to determine if the classification of M3M has an effect on rate of MAF or CFs. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: The authors analyzed data of all patients admitted to an institution for operative care of MF between January 2020 and March 2024. Results: Data of 475 patients with 792 MFs were assessed. A total of 183 (23.1%) MFs were single fractures of which 102 (55.7%) were MAFs and 28 (15.3%) were CFs. Overall, 289 were MAFs in 281 patients, and 127 were CFs in 112 patients. M3Ms were present in 256 (88.6%) of the 289 MAFs (odds ratio [OR], 3.32; P Conclusions: There was a 3-time increase in risk of sustaining a MAF with more...