3.

Estimated Annual Reduction of Cost and Disability From Performing Only Needed Third-Molar Extractions: United States

	No. of Extractions	Cost, $	Savings, $a	No. of Patients	Patient Days of Standard Discomfort or Disability	Reduction of Patient Days of Standard Discomfort or Disability
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons	2 310 000	941 325 000	1 911 175 000	1 160 000	2 630 000	5 320 000
General practitioners	1 000 000	150 000 000	300 000 000	500 000	1 130 000	2 280 000
Total	3 310 000	1 091 325 000	2 211 175 000	1 660 000	3 760 000	7 600 000

Source. See reference 2.

Note. Extractions because of pathological conditions are estimated to represent 33% of current annual third-molar extractions.20^,21

^aSavings are calculated by subtracting the estimated cost of third-molar extractions performed only in cases in which pathology is present from the estimated cost of extractions currently performed per year.