Wound management and the use of mouth rinse in mandibular third molar surgery

The aim of this survey was to assess the knowledge and practice of Swiss dentists regarding wound management and the use of mouth rinse in surgical removal of mandibular third molars (MTM). A postal survey was conducted among all 3,288 dentists who are members of the Swiss Dental Society (SSO) representing the majority of dentists in Switzerland. The questionnaire consisted of 13 questions with mostly multiple-choice answers. Demographic profile, surgical experience, the use of antibiotics, and wound management, i.e. wound closure and the use of mouth rinse were assessed. The response rate was 55%. Semi-closed (59.1%), closed (19%) and open wound management (11.7%) were applied most often. Semi-closed wound management was preferred in the German-speaking region (67%) and closed wound management was preferred in the French-speaking region (55%). For semi-closed wound healing, drains impregnated with terra-cortril (42%) and iodoform-Vaseline (40%) were used. For closed wound management, most dentists reported leaving the wound to heal with the blood clot only (60.5%). Most dentists (74.5%) prescribed chlorhexidine 0.2% (CHX) mouth rinse when performing MTM surgery and a combination of immediate preoperative and postoperative use was preferred. Semi-closed wound management with drain and CHX mouth rinse is frequently used in Switzerland in the perioperative management in MTM surgery. It is a well-documented procedure leading to favourable outcomes without using any systemic antibiotics. However, wound management techniques differ between the three linguistic regions.