Introduction: Tooth retention can be caused by local causes: lack of space, density of the covering bone, very dense mucous membrane, improper retention of temporary teeth, premature loss of temporary teeth and infection in the bone or mucosa.Objective: to describe the different techniques and procedures associated with third molar surgery. Methods: a bibliographic review was carried out by searching for content on tooth retention and third molar surgery in SciELO, Redalyc, Scopus, PubMed, from articles published in international and open access journals. 40 studies were obtained, of which 32 were identified as appropriate for this research. Scientific articles, books and theses in English and Spanish, in full text, were included. Development: The eruption of third molars over the years has been one of the main causes of malocclusions, lesions, infections, cysts, tumors and pathological factors, which is why their excision is performed, and due to their proximity to the mandibular ramus and their proximity to the maxillary sinus. During the procedure, complications arise due to the need to perform an incision, osteotomy and odontosection, which are very traumatic, causing edema, bleeding, pain and trismus, in which it has been shown that the application of osteotomy techniques reduces the operating time and thus speeds up the avulsion of the third molars. Conclusions: The graduate profile of the Dentistry career establishes that general practice dentists must be prepared for the need for an extraction, and in many cases the surgical technique helps and facilitates, therefore, their training is important when performing an extraction.