COMPARISON OF COMMA INCISION VERSUS MODIFIED WARD'S INCISION IN MANDIBULAR THIRD MOLAR SURGERY-A CLINICAL STUDY

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Surgical Techniques
• Dental Research

Background:

• Mandibular third molar surgery is common.
• Flap and incision techniques impact post-operative outcomes.
• Comparing comma incision and Modified Ward's incision is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of comma incision versus Modified Ward's incision.
• To compare post-operative pain, edema, and mouth opening.
• To determine the optimal flap/incision technique for mandibular third molar extraction.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 126 participants (ages 20-45) with mesio-angular impacted mandibular third molars.
• Participants were divided into two groups: comma incision and Modified Ward's incision.
• Independent t-test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis of mouth opening, pain, and edema.

Main Results:

• The comma-shaped incision group showed significantly greater mild pain on day 1 (47.6% vs 30.2%) but significantly less severe pain on day 7 (1.6% vs 4.8%).
• Mouth opening was considerably higher in the comma-shaped group on days 1, 3, and 7.
• Post-operative swelling was significantly reduced in the comma-shaped group on days 3 and 7.

Conclusions:

• The comma-shaped incision technique is more effective than Modified Ward's incision for mandibular third molar surgery.
• This technique promotes better mouth opening and reduces post-operative edema and discomfort.
• The findings suggest the comma-shaped incision as a preferred method for flap surgery in this context.