The efficacy of 2 different doses of dexamethasone to control postoperative swelling, trismus, and pain after third molar extractions.

Abstract

This article addresses the effect of 2 different concentrations (4 and 12 mg) of dexamethasone to control pain, swelling, and trismus after third molar surgery. A clinical study was conducted with 27 male and female patients, all presenting with bilaterally displaced mandibular third molars. The treatment protocol required a surgical removal of each tooth in 2 separate operations. The patients were given a preoperative dose of dexamethasone-4 mg for one surgery, 12 mg for the other. The choice of which side would be operated on first and which dose of dexamethasone would be taken was performed randomly, under double-blind conditions. The trismus was assessed by measuring the interincisal distance. Pain intensity was measured both by the amount of painkillers (acetaminophen 750 mg) taken postsurgery and by the Visual Analogue Pain Scale. Data were collected 1 hour preoperative, then at 24 and 48 hours postoperative. A statistical analysis (student's t, Wilcoxon and Friedman tests) of the results showed no significant differences (α = 0.05) between the analyzed variables for the 2 doses of dexamethasone (4 and 12 mg).