Review of clinical practice guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of third molars - Evaluation of adherence to AGREE II publication guideline

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Theodore

Clinical practice guidelines (CPG) support healthcare professionals by summarizing evidence and standardizing clinical decisions, but they require rigorous development, clear presentation, adequate scope, strong applicability, and timely updates. This review evaluates available CPGs on the diagnosis and treatment of third molars using the AGREE II instrument to judge overall quality and the strength of recommendations, focusing on adherence to the AGREE II publication methodology.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages6

Reading Time15 min

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Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2026 Jan 1;31 (1):e89-e94 . Assessment of clinical practice guidelines on third molars Journal section: Oral Surgery doi:10.4317/medoral.27578 Publication Types: Research Review of clinical practice guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of third molars. Evaluation of adherence to AGREE II publication guideline Mª Gemma Herráez-Tondo 1, Cosme Gay-Escoda 2, Jorge Toledano-Serrabona 3, Mª Àngels Sánchez-Garcés 4 1 DDS. University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 2 DDS, MS, PhD. Senior Lecturer in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Implant Dentistry at the University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Director of Master’s Degree Program in Oral Surgery and Implantology at EFHRE International University, Belize city, Belize. Researcher at the IDIBELL institute, Barcelona (Spain). Head of Integral Dentistry, Oral Surgery, Oral Implantology And Maxillofacial Surgery at Teknon Medical Center, Barcelona, Spain 3 MD, DDS, PhD, Clinical assistant professor of Oral Surgery and Implant Dentistry. Master’s Degree Program in Oral Surgery and Implantology, School of Dentistry, University of Barcelona. Researcher at the IDIBELL institute, Barcelona, Spain 4 MD, DDS, PhD, MS, EBOS, Associated professor of Oral Surgery and Implant Dentistry. Master’s Degree Program in Oral Surgery and Implantology, School of Dentistry, University of Barcelona. Researcher at the IDIBELL institute, Barcelona, Spain Correspondence: School of Medicine and Health Sciences Dental School Campus de Bellvitge University of Barcelona C/ Feixa Llarga, s/n Pavelló Govern 2ª planta, Despatx 2.9 08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat; Barcelona, Spain [jtoledano@ub.edu](jtoledano@ub.edu) [Received: 07/06/2025](Received: 07/06/2025) [Accepted: 19/10/2025](Accepted: 19/10/2025) Herráez-Tondo MG, Gay-Escoda C, Toledano-Serrabona J, SánchezGarcés MA. Review of clinical practice guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of third molars. Evaluation of adherence to AGREE II publication guideline. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2026 Jan 1;31 (1):e89-e94 . Article Number:27578 [http://www.medicinaoral.com/](http://www.medicinaoral.com/) © Medicina Oral S. L. C.I.F. B 96689336-pISSN 1698-4447-eISSN: 1698-6946 eMail: medicina@medicinaoral.com Indexed in: Science Citation Index Expanded Journal Citation Reports Index Medicus, MEDLINE, PubMed Scopus, Embase and Emcare Indice Médico Español Abstract Background: Clinical practice guidelines (CPG) are developed to summarize the available evidence for healthcare professionals and standardize decisions in the clinical setting. For them to be useful, they must be generated following systematic methods, have high scope and applicability, present information clearly, and be updated every five years. The main aim of this review was to evaluate the available CPGs on the diagnosis and treatment of third molars (3M) using the AGREE II instrument to assess their quality and strength of recommendations. Material and Methods: An electronic search was conducted using the PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases. Additionally, a manual search was performed by international health organizations and dental and surgical associations. The inclusion criterion was CPG published in the last 5 years on the diagnosis and treatment of 3M. The quality of the guidelines was analyzed using the AGREE II instrument. Results: 14 CPGs were identified; However, only seven met the inclusion criteria. The guidelines from the Spanish Society of Oral Surgery (SECIB) and the Malaysia Oral Health Programme (MOHP) were considered high-quality. In contrast, guidelines from the German Medical Association (DGMKG), French Society of Stomatology MaxilloFacial Surgery and Oral Surgery (SFSCMFCO) and Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSE) were rated as moderate quality and recommended with modifications. The Finnish Medical and Dental Society (FMDS) and Dutch Association of Oral and Maxillofacial S

FAQs

What was the main aim of the review?

To evaluate available clinical practice guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of third molars using the AGREE II instrument to assess quality and the strength of recommendations.

How were the guidelines identified and selected?

An electronic search was conducted in PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Library, and Scopus, along with a manual search by international health organizations and dental/surgical associations. Inclusion required CPGs published in the last 5 years.

What were the key findings about guideline quality?

Fourteen CPGs were identified, and seven met inclusion criteria. Two guidelines were rated high-quality, two were considered high-quality, most others were rated moderate or failed to meet minimum standards, and substantial improvements were needed.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Theodore