The effect of the submucosal injection of dexamethasone on postoperative discomfort after impacted mandibular third molar surgery

Introduction: Our study was designed to assess the effect of the submucosal injection of dexamethasone on postoperative discomfort after surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. Materials and methods: Twenty six patients with bilaterally bony impacted mandibular third molars were recruited to this split mouth study. On the study side, prior to surgery, 8 mg of dexamethasone was injected in buccal vestibule submucosally, while the control side received no steroid. Complications such as swelling, trismus and infection were evaluated postoperatively. Results: The results showed that the patients experienced significantly less swelling (p= 0.001) on study side on the 3^rd and 7^th postoperative days compared to the control side. The amount of trismus was significantly less (p= 0.001) after submucosal injection of dexamethasone on both time intervals. Conclusion: Perioperative submucosal injection of dexamethasone can significantly reduce postoperative swelling and trismus after surgical removal of the impacted teeth.