Ambulatory oral surgery: 1-year experience with 11680 patients from Zagreb district, Croatia

Effect of orally administered magnesium on postoperative pain level and trismus after surgical removal of the lower third molars: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

Pain and trismus are the most common postoperative complications following a surgical removal of the lower third molar. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluated the effect of orally administrated magnesium on postoperative pain and trismus after surgical removal of the lower third molars.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted on 80 participants who were divided into two groups. Each group took different oral forms of magnesium citrate. Participants in both groups had their two lower molars surgically removed. For one randomly selected third molar, participants received either magnesium citrate tablets or lozenges. For the surgical removal of the lower third molar of the opposite side, the participants received either placebo tablets or lozenges. The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-ranked test, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Spearman rank-order correlation with the level of significance set at p < 0.05. This manuscript was written in accordance with the Consort recommendation.

RESULTS

The results show a statistically significant lower pain level at all tested times (24 h, 48 h, and 72 h postoperatively) for participants who used magnesium preparations in lozenges (p = 0.012, p = 0.013, and p ≤ 0.001) as well as in tablet form (p ≤ 0.001) compared to placebo. The results also show a statistically significant greater mouth opening ability at all tested times (24 h, 48 h, and 72 h postoperatively) between magnesium preparations and the placebo (p ≤ 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Orally administered magnesium (either lozenges or tablets) before and after a lower third molar surgical removal significantly reduces pain intensity and the degree of trismus in the postoperative period.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Based on the results of the study, oral magnesium could be used in the oral and maxillofacial surgery to reduce postoperative complications after surgical removal of the lower third molars.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study is registered on http:clinicaltrials.gov under protocol no. NCT03398382.

Prevalence of Pathologies Associated with Impacted Third Molars in Kosovar Population: an Orthopanthomography Study

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of pathologies associated with impacted third molars radiographically noticeable in a Kosovar population, as currently no data are available.

Methods and Materials

This was a retrospective study of 5515 panoramic images of patients who visited the University Dentistry Clinical Center of Kosovo. Of these 5515 patients, 2368 were males and 3147 were females. The age range was from 18 to 77 years. We reviewed panoramic images in order to determine the number of pathologies associated with impacted third molars. The following radiographic lesions were recorded: caries of impacted teeth and/or adjacent tooth, root resorption of adjacent tooth, periodontal bone loss of adjacent tooth of more than 5mm below the cemento-enamel junction and an increase in pericoronar gap over 4mm.

Results

The prevalence of pathologies associated with impacted third molar in Kosovar population was 29.5%. Root resorption of adjacent tooth had the highest frequency of pathology 307 (23.7%). It was followed by periodontal bone loss of adjacent tooth of more than 5 mm 71 (5.5%) and caries 33 (2.5%). The lowest was an increase in pericoronar gap 15 (1.2%).

Conclusion

The most common pathology was root resorption, with the highest incidence of pathology localized in the maxilla 159 (32.3%). The prevalence of periodontal bone loss, caries and increase in pericoronar gap was significantly lower. The findings of our research could have an impact on development of prevention strategies that will proficiently deal with pathologies that result from impacted teeth.

Scales used to rate adult patients' psycho-emotional status in tooth extraction procedures: a systematic review

The aim of this study was to review scales used to assess anxiety, stress, and pain in dental patients undergoing a tooth extraction procedure and to propose a novel psycho-emotional rating scale based on the relevant literature and our own experience. An electronic literature search was conducted of the National Library of Medicine database MEDLINE (Ovid) and EMBASE databases between January 2005 and April 2016. Sequential screening at the title/abstract and full-text levels was performed. The review included all human prospective or retrospective follow-up studies and clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and case series that demonstrated at least one scale used to measure tooth extraction anxiety, stress, or pain. The search resulted in 32 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. None of the studies were found to be suitable in evaluating patient's stress, pain, and fear at once. Also, no scales were found that included both the doctor's and the patient's rating. In a few studies, vital signs as psycho-emotional status indicators were rated. Guidelines for a suitable questionnaire that could be used for rating the psycho-emotional status of patients undergoing tooth extraction are listed in the present research. Further studies are required for verification and validation of offered scale.