Evaluation of postoperative trismus in buccal versus lingual approach for impacted mandibular third molar removal

Evaluation of trismus incidence and severity between buccal and lingual approaches in impacted mandibular third molar extractions is of interest. Hence, a prospective observational study was conducted with 100 patients divided into two groups: Group A (buccal approach) and Group B (lingual approach). Clinical parameters including inter incisal distance (IID), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, facial swelling and surgery duration were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively on Days 1, 3 and 7. The lingual approach to mandibular third molar extraction is connected with a greater chances of severe postoperative trismus compared to the buccal approach.