Guidance on the extraction of wisdom teeth

To enable dental practitioners to audit their own compliance with this guidance, it is recommended that all those who perform wisdom teeth extraction should routinely record the indication for surgery and the diagnosis (see section 1.3).

It is recommended that this information be incorporated into manual recording systems and consideration given to the establishment of appropriate categories in electronic record keeping systems in general practices and hospitals.

Prospective clinical audit programmes should record the proportion of extractions adhering to the criteria described in this guidance. Such programmes are likely to be more effective in improving patient care when they form part of the organisation's formal clinical governance arrangements and where they are linked to specific post-graduate activities.