Julia Y Cheng

Antibiotic Prophylaxis and Infection Outcomes After Third Molar Surgery in a Private Oral Surgery Practice Setting

Started May 30, 2025

Abstract or project description

This retrospective cohort study evaluated whether prophylactic antibiotics reduce postoperative infections after wisdom teeth (third molar) extractions in a private oral surgery practice setting. In addition to antibiotic use, we analyzed other potential predictors of infection, including age, sex, office location, surgeon, smoking status, diabetes, immunocompromised status, pre-existing infection, and postoperative follow-up type (in-person vs. remote). Despite existing clinical studies and general consensus regarding antibiotic prophylaxis, applying these recommendations to private practice settings can be challenging due to practice-specific factors such as patient demographics, compliance, facilities, and surgeon experience. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 406 patients undergoing third molar extractions across two private oral surgery practices. We used chi-square tests for categorical variables, a t-test for age, and multivariate logistic regression to assess associations with postoperative infection. Antibiotic use was not significantly associated with infection (univariate p = 0.94; multivariate p = 0.69). Notably, younger age was associated with increased odds of infection (univariate p < 0.001; multivariate p = 0.014). These findings suggest that antibiotic prophylaxis should be targeted to higher-risk cases and that additional postoperative support may be warranted for younger patients.