Vitamin C and postoperative outcomes following mandibular third molar extraction: a randomized split-mouth study

This randomized, double-blind, split-mouth clinical trial evaluated the effects of oral vitamin C supplementation on early wound healing and postoperative complications following the surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars.

Fifty-six healthy individuals underwent bilateral extractions, with vitamin C and placebo randomly assigned to each side. Supplementation began 1 day before surgery and continued for 7 days. Clinical outcomes, including pain, analgesic consumption, wound healing, facial swelling, and trismus, were measured preoperatively and on postoperative days 2 and 7.

Pain scores were significantly lower in the vitamin C group on day 2, while analgesic use and wound healing showed favorable trends, although these differences did not reach statistical significance. Facial swelling was significantly reduced on day 2 in the vitamin C group across all measurements. Trismus did not differ significantly between groups.

Oral vitamin C supplementation may reduce early postoperative pain and swelling and may support early wound healing following third molar surgery. As a safe, accessible, and low-cost intervention, vitamin C could serve as a useful adjunct in oral surgical practice to improve patient recovery and comfort. Further randomized controlled trials with longer follow-up and optimized dosing protocols are warranted.