Title: An assessment of the use of prophylactic antibiotics in third molar surgery
Abstract: The use of systemic prophylactic antibiotics in third molar surgery is still a controversial issue. A double-blind study has been conducted with 75 selected patients randomized into two groups. After exclusions, 68 patients requiring removal of 133 bone impacted mandibular third molars remained. Surgery was carried out under general anesthesia and a Standard operative technique used. Postoperative raorbidity was assessed by recording trismus, swelling, pain, and the incidence of infection. In the group given an antibiotic 15.1 % of patients and 7.8 % of sockets became infected; in the control group the incidence was 14.3 % and 8.7 %, respectively. Difficult extractions were more likely to give rise to postoperative infection, but neither the state of eruption nor the occurrence of previous pericoronitis appeared to predispose to dry socket. Trismus and swelling were associated with increased difficulty of extraction, but increased pain did not usually occur unless a socket became infected, Differences of overall morbidity between the groups were slight and not statistically significant. The main conclusion from the study is that the use of prophylactic antibiotics in third molar surgery is unnecessary unless specific systemic factors are present.
Publication Year: 1974
Publication Date: 1974-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 113
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