Dexamethasone Injection on Postoperative Complications After Impacted Lower 3rd Molar Extraction

Authors

  • Luay H. Jalil College of Dentistry, Al-Farahidi University, Baghdad, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/d3000.2026.1283

Keywords:

Wisdom Teeth, Postsurgical Pain, Pain, Facial Swelling

Abstract

Objective: The most common oral surgery is removing impacted lower third molars, which can be extremely painful and cause swelling to soft and bone tissue tension. Postoperative sequelae can bother patients and lower their quality of life. Thus, third-molar surgery patients need better pain management. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of submucosal injection of 4 mg/1 ml dexamethasone in reducing postoperative pain, and facial swelling after surgical removal of impacted lower wisdom teeth. Subjects and Methods: This randomized clinical study included 100 patients with impacted mandibular third molars. Five minutes after the local anaesthesia injection, they were randomly assigned to a control group and a research group of fifty patients each. The study group got a 4 mg/1 ml submucosal injection of dexamethasone five minutes after local anaesthesia, whereas the control group received normal saline. Five minutes later, impacted teeth were surgically removed. estimated daily discomfort until the 7th postoperative day, and mouth opening and edema were assessed preoperatively, on the second and seventh postoperative days. These characteristics were examined between groups along with operation time. Results: The study group demonstrated a statistically significant (p<0.05) reduction in pain scores on the first and second postoperative days and a statistically significant decrease in swelling compared to the control group at a 7-day follow-up. Conclusion: According to the findings, a submucosal injection of dexamethasone (4 milligrams) that is administered as an intraoral injection after surgery is particularly helpful in reducing postoperative pain and swelling.

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Published

2026-04-30

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Adults & the Elderly

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Luay H. Jalil

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Revised 7/16/2018. Revision Description: Removed outdated link.