Comparing primary and secondary wound healing discomfort after mandibular third molar surgery: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial

Abstract

Extraction of impacted mandibular third molars is one of the most common procedures in the oral cavity and often is followed by pain, swelling, and postextraction alveolitis and trismus. It has been suggested that postoperative discomfort is in relation to the type of surgical wound healing. The aim of this study was to compare pain, swelling, and maximum mouth opening in two groups of patients with primary and secondary wound healing after impacted mandibular third molar surgery. Thirty-two patients were enrolled in this study and randomly divided into two equal groups, quantitatively and by gender. After the surgical procedures, 16 patients received primary wound closure, while the other 16 participants received secondary wound closure. A visual analog scale was used to collect pain data three days after the surgeries. A checklist was used to record data regarding swelling size and maximum mouth opening before, immediately following, three days after, and one week after surgery. Frequency tests and a t-test were used for statistical analysis and a P value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Patients in the secondary wound healing group showed statistically significant lower discomfort regarding pain, swelling size, and maximal mouth opening compared to the primary wound healing group. The authors suggest the use of secondary wound healing closure to reduce postoperative complications such as pain, maximal mouth opening, and swelling size after impacted mandibular third molar extractions.