Antibiotic therapy in fully impacted lower third molar surgery: randomized three-arm, double-blind, controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Pharmacology
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Surgical site infections are a concern following impacted third molar extractions.
• Prophylactic antibiotic use is common, but evidence for routine use in healthy patients is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of three different drug protocols, including amoxicillin, for patients undergoing extraction of fully impacted lower third molars.

Main Methods:

• Eighty healthy patients were randomized into three double-blind groups receiving amoxicillin or placebo before and after surgery.
• Outcomes measured included mouth opening, facial edema, pain, body temperature, lymphadenopathy, and dysphagia.
• Evaluations were conducted at baseline and on postoperative days 4 and 7.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were observed among the three groups for any of the evaluated parameters (p > 0.05).
• This indicates that amoxicillin administration did not improve outcomes compared to placebo in this cohort.

Conclusions:

• Prophylactic antibiotic administration offers no discernible advantage for healthy patients undergoing impacted lower third molar extraction when strict aseptic techniques are employed.
• The findings suggest that routine antibiotic prophylaxis may not be necessary in such cases, potentially reducing antibiotic resistance and healthcare costs.