Background and Aims: The surgical removal of mandibular third molar is frequently accompanied by significant postsurgical complications, and different protocols have been described to decrease such complications. The aim of this study was to compare the postoperative complications of mandibular impacted third molar removal with two conventional rotary and piezoelectric methods.
Materials and Methods: In this study 27 patients with bilateral mandibular impacted third molars were selected. The patients’ teeth were extracted by the piezoelectric method on a random side and the opposite tooth was extracted by conventional rotary technique. On operation and post operation days, edema, pain, and mouth opening were assessed. The duration of each operation was also measured. Data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney test and independent t-test.
Results: The mean duration of operation in the rotary group was less than that of the piezoelectric group, which was statistically significant (P=0.001). Pain was significantly higher in the rotary group on days 0 to 5 (P<0.05). Whereas, difference in pain on day 6 was not statistically significant (P=0.067). There was no significant difference between the two groups in each day after surgery regarding mouth opening (P>0.05). Edema was significantly higher in the rotary group on the first, third, and fifth days after surgery (P<0.05). Also, edema was higher in the rotary group on the seventh day after surgery, but not statistically significant (P=0.076).
Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it can be concluded that pain and swelling in patients after impacted tooth surgery using time consuming piezoelectric technique can be reduced.
