[The evaluation of the postoperative response in surgery on the lower third molar]

The impacted third molar is often excised in the absence of clear signs of disease. On this basis and taking also into account the usual surgical hazard, an analysis of the post-surgical behavior of 100 patients that had undergone excision of the impacted third molar, is made.

All patients were observed and treated by the same surgeon and were divided into two distinct groups based on the position and depth of the tooth in the bone as observed by orthopantomography. In the first group of patients, bone fenestration was carried out by the use of mallet and gouge and the tooth was excised without odontotomy. In contrast, in patients of the second group, odontotomy always preceded tooth excision. Patients of both groups were analyzed for several different parameters including age, sex, the reason for surgery, tooth position according to Pell and Gregory, the length of excision and, finally, swelling and the reduced mouth opening that occur after surgery.

Data reported indicate non-proportional results between the two groups; there is no apparent relation between post-surgical swelling and mouth opening, the latter being always present and very pronounced.