Efficacy of Dexamethasone Diluted Saline Irrigant on Postoperative Sequelae in Patients Undergoing Lower Third Molar Surgery: A Prospective Clinical Study

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Four Different Irrigation Solutions on Postoperative Sequelae in Patients Undergoing Lower Third Molar Surgery: A Prospective Study

Introduction Oral and maxillofacial surgeons frequently perform the removal of impacted mandibular third molars. The success of this surgical intervention depends on meticulous surgical technique and the use of appropriate irrigants to minimize complications in the postoperative period.  Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of four different irrigation solutions (povidone-iodine, metronidazole, chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), and normal saline) on postoperative sequelae like pain, trismus, swelling, and alveolar osteitis following surgical extraction of the impacted mandibular third molars. Materials and methods The current research was a randomized study carried out at Saveetha Dental College and Hospital in Chennai, India, from December 2022 to March 2023. The study population consisted of 112 participants who were referred to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. The population was divided into four groups, with 28 in each group. They were categorized as A, B, C, and D based on the final irrigation solution used after surgical removal of the impacted teeth. In group A, patients received 0.5% povidone-iodine as the final irrigation solution; group B received 1% metronidazole; group C received 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX); and group D received 0.9% normal saline. Patients were examined on the first and seventh postoperative days to assess pain, swelling, trismus, and alveolar osteitis. The results were analyzed with SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0 (Released 2015; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) software for Windows (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington, United States). A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.  Results Group B experienced significantly less pain than groups A, C, and D on the first and seventh postoperative days (p<0.05). The facial swelling was significantly less on the first and seventh postoperative day in group B compared to groups A, B, and D (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant variation observed in trismus (mouth opening) across the groups on both the first postoperative and seventh postoperative days. The presence of alveolar osteitis was seen in groups A, C, and D, but no instances were reported in group B. Conclusion It can be concluded that among the four irrigation solutions used in the lower third molar surgery, metronidazole irrigation solution yielded the best results in terms of less pain, swelling, and alveolar osteitis followed by chlorhexidine. There was no difference between povidone-iodine irrigation and normal saline irrigation on the postoperative sequelae. Postoperative trismus does not depend on the irrigation solution used in the third molar surgery.