The Effectiveness of Submucosal Dexamethasone after Third Molar Extraction. A Single Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of dexamethasone in alleviating pain and trismus of the patients who underwent extraction of the third molars. Methodology: A total of 120 patients took part in this randomized, controlled trial. The wisdom teeth of patients were surgically extracted under local anesthesia. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two group and study control with 60 patients in each group. Preoperative and Postoperative measurements of edema, trismus and pain were analyzed. In study group, dexamethasone was immediately given after extraction. However, in control group, no dexamethasone was given to the patients. The paired t-test was carried out to compare the means scores of pains and trismus and. A p value of = 0.05 was judged significant. Results: The pain scores of patients in group 1 were mostly pain-free on the third post-operative day after dexamethasone administration, with complete pain resolution in all patients on the seventh post-operative day. About trismus in post operative phase almost all of the patients belonging to group 1 did not report to suffer from trismus with just two patients complaining of mild trismus. Whereas, on the 7th post-operative day, all of the group 1 patients free from trismus. About the comparison of trismus, pain and Edema in study groups, a significant difference p<0.05 was found. Conclusion: Inflammatory complications are frequently associated in the post operative phase of extraction of third molars. Dexamethasone has been proven to be useful in reduction of pain, trismus and edema experienced by the patients when no intervention has been given.