Differences in postoperative morbidity rates, including infection and dry socket, and differences in the healing process after mandibular third molar surgery in patients receiving 1-day or 3-day prophylaxis with lenampicillin

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of antibiotic prophylaxis for mandibular third molar surgery from the viewpoint of the duration of administration. A comparative study was conducted on postoperative infection, dry socket, and the healing process in 178 healthy patients receiving 1-day or 3-day prophylaxis with lenampicillin (LAPC; 1.5 g/day). Postoperative infection developed in only 1 (1.1%) of the 91 patients in the 3-day group, while there was no patient with infection in the 87 patients in the 1-day group. Dry socket developed in 8.0% of the 87 patients in the 1-day group and in 7.7% of the 91 patients in the 3-day group. However, the incidence of these complications, in relation to the degree of impaction of the molars, did not significantly differ between the 1-day and 3-day groups. Scores indicating clinical symptoms for the 7 days after surgery also reflected no significant difference between the groups, irrespective of the degree of impaction. These results suggest that 1-day therapy with LAPC in our regimen may at least be recommended as a prophylaxis for mandibular third molar surgery in medically healthy patients.