Advantages of germectomy as a preventive surgical treatment

Surgical extraction of third molars is a common procedure in oral surgery, especially relevant in orthodontics during early dental development. This process, supported by clinical studies and models, is used to prevent and treat various oral health conditions, including complications associated with abnormal eruption of these molars. The pericoronal sacs, which surround the crown of unerupted teeth, can be a source of complications such as odontogenic cysts. These sacs are difficult to diagnose, justifying the early extraction of unerupted teeth to prevent long-term issues and to histopathologically evaluate potential alterations. In orthodontics, third molar extraction is indicated to treat crowding, create space for molar distalization, correct impaction of second molars, and in some cases, as part of comprehensive orthognathic surgery. Crowding is just one of the potential complications arising from third molars, which can also lead to pathologies such as pericoronitis, cavities, and the formation of odontogenic cysts or tumors. In this context, germectomy is considered a preventive strategy to avoid future problems. A literature search was conducted focusing on studies related to the terms "third molars", "germectomy", "preventive exodontia" and "pericoronal sac." Full-text studies, both quantitative and qualitative, in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, were included. The search was carried out in databases such as PubMed, SciELO, Google Scholar, and LILACS