Complications of third molar surgery among university students

The authors analyzed complications during and after 145 consecutive operative removals of mandibular third molars performed on 109 healthy university students in Finland. The operations were all performed by the same oral surgeon under similar conditions and with similar postoperative procedures. The rate of intraoperative complications was 9%. All complications could be taken care of during the operations, and all the postoperative complications were reversible. Swelling was the most common postoperative complication and was related to the length and difficulty of the operation. Trismus at the control visit (6th postoperative day) was also related to the length of the operation. Mandibular lateral movement was more restricted to the nonoperated than to the operated side. Alveolitis sicca dolorosa (ASD) was diagnosed as true ASD in 5% of the cases and as nonspecific ASD in 15% of the cases.