"Effect of Preoperative Submucosal Dexamethasone on Postoperative Discomfort After Mandibular Third Molar Surgery"

Summary

This study aims to determine whether giving a single dose of dexamethasone before surgery can reduce pain and difficulty in opening the mouth after removal of an impacted lower wisdom tooth. Pain and limited mouth opening are common problems after this procedure and can affect eating, speaking, and daily activities. A total of 268 patients aged 18 to 55 years who require surgical removal of an impacted mandibular third molar will be included. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive a 4 mg dexamethasone injection under the gum before surgery, while the other group will not receive this medication. All patients will undergo the same surgical procedure and receive standard postoperative care. Pain will be measured using a visual analogue scale, and mouth opening will be assessed using a standard measuring method. These outcomes will be recorded on the second and seventh days after surgery. The results of this study will help determine whether preoperative dexamethasone is an effective and simple method to reduce postoperative discomfort and improve recovery after third molar surgery.

Timeline

Start

2026-05-01

Primary completion

2026-10-01

Completion

2026-10-01

Publications

• Results Gaballah K, Eldohaji T, Tannir ME, Shaban R, Habib R, Ali K. Pain control following impacted mandibular third molar surgery: a comparison of the effectiveness of two different protocols. Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 3;15(1):11519. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-89744-0.
• Results Selvido DI, Bhattarai BP, Niyomtham N, Riddhabhaya A, Vongsawan K, Pairuchvej V, Wongsirichat N. Review of dexamethasone administration for management of complications in postoperative third molar surgery. J Korean Assoc Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2021 Oct 31;47(5):341-350. doi: 10.5125/jkaoms.2021.47.5.341.
• Results Hou C, Liu F, Liu C. Comparison of Submucosal With Intramuscular or Intravenous Administration of Dexamethasone for Third Molar Surgeries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Surg. 2021 Aug 10;8:714950. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2021.714950. eCollection 2021.
• Results 3. Gojayeva N, Pashtayeva N, Nagiyev N, Aliyev A, Özmeriç N, Gülşahı A, et al. Comparison of postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus after impacted mandibular third molar extraction using different cold applications: a randomized controlled clinical trial. BMC Oral Health. 2024;24:131. doi:10.1186/s12903-024-03877-8
• Results Rizqiawan A, Lesmaya YD, Rasyida AZ, Amir MS, Ono S, Kamadjaja DB. Postoperative Complications of Impacted Mandibular Third Molar Extraction Related to Patient's Age and Surgical Difficulty Level: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study. Int J Dent. 2022 Jan 3;2022:7239339. doi: 10.1155/2022/7239339. eCollection 2022.
• Results Synan W, Stein K. Management of Impacted Third Molars. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2020 Nov;32(4):519-559. doi: 10.1016/j.coms.2020.07.002. Epub 2020 Sep 9.

Drugs

Indications