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Single Pericoronitis Not Extract — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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EasyOral SurgerySingle Pericoronitis Not ExtractORE Part 1

A 19-year-old patient attends after a single episode of mild pericoronitis affecting a partially erupted lower third molar. The symptoms settled with local irrigation, oral-hygiene advice and simple analgesia. Examination now shows no swelling or infection, and radiography indicates adequate space for eruption. What is the most appropriate management?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: E — Review the tooth and reinforce local preventive advice

The correct answer is E. NICE TA1 advises that a first episode of pericoronitis should not, unless particularly severe, be regarded as an indication for surgical removal of a third molar. This patient had only one mild episode, it resolved with local measures, and there are no current signs of infection or other pathology; review with oral-hygiene and recurrence advice is appropriate. Elective extraction becomes more justifiable after recurrent episodes or where there is another clear pathological indication. Prophylactic antibiotics are not indicated after a resolved mild episode. General anaesthesia is disproportionate, and operculectomy is not routinely indicated merely because one mild episode has occurred.

Reference: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NICE TA1: Guidance on the extraction of wisdom teeth, Recommendations 1.4, 2000. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta1/chapter/1-Recommendations