Primary study · included by 1 review

Early extraction: a silver bullet to avoid nerve injury in lower third molar removal?

Zhang 2012 · Zhang Q-B, Zhang Z-Q · International journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery · 2012

Included by

Lower Third Molar Germectomy: Timings, Indications, and Clinical and Patient-Reported Outcomes-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Non-Cochrane · intervention · 2026 · cited as Zhang 2012 · Table 1; Figures 6-7

Outcome this study informs	Pooled effect	Evidence	Certainty
Inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury Early mandibular third molar removal (germectomy, immature developmental stage) vs Delayed extraction at a more advanced root development stage or older age · Postoperative; follow-up varied by study	RR 0.05 [0.01, 0.37]	2 studies	GRADE not reported
Overall postoperative complications (composite) Early removal (germectomy / immature extraction) vs Delayed extraction of fully developed third molars (older age) · Longest available follow-up	RR 0.30 [0.21, 0.44]	3 studies · 2676 participants	GRADE not reported
Overall postoperative complications (composite) Early mandibular third molar removal (germectomy, immature developmental stage) vs Delayed extraction at a more advanced root development stage or older age · Postoperative; follow-up varied by study	RR 0.29 [0.20, 0.42]	3 studies	GRADE not reported

1 including review in total.