Antibiotic prophylaxis in third molar surgery

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To evaluate the role of prophylactic antibiotics, if any, in the removal of mandibular impacted third molars.

Patients and methods: A total of 89 patients were randomly allocated in 3 groups (group 1, placebo; group 2, amoxicillin 1 g orally 1 h before surgery; and group 3, metronidazole 800 mg orally 1 h before surgery).

Results: Of the 89 patients, 5 had surgical wound infection (3 [10.33%] in group 1, 2 [6.45%] in group 2, and none [0%] in group 3), leading to an overall infection rate of 5.61%. There was no statistically significant difference found in surgical wound infection between the groups.

Conclusions: Our study failed to show any advantage in the routine use of prophylactic antibiotics because we found no statistically significant difference between the groups.