Abstract
BackgroundThird molar extraction is a very common procedure in Dentistry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) and satisfaction of patients undergoing extraction of an upper third molar under local anesthesia. A second objective was to describe the evolution of self-reported pain measured in a visual analogue scale (VAS) in the 7 days after surgery and its relationship with pre- and intraoperative factors.Material and MethodsA prospective longitudinal cohort study was made. Fifty-five patients received a questionnaire assessing social and working isolation, eating and speaking ability, diet modifications, sleep impairment, physical appearance, discomfort at suture removal and overall satisfaction. Pain was registered daily on a VAS scale. A descriptive and bivariate analysis of the data was performed.ResultsForty-seven patients were included. Pain decreased lineally across the 7 days, and relief was significant between days 2 and 3. Intraoperative complications were significantly associated with pain. The complication that showed the highest pain score was the tuberosity fracture.ConclusionsUpper third molar removal significantly affects the patient’s quality of life, particularly during the first 2 days after extraction. Key words:Quality of life, upper third molar, extraction, complications.
Highlights
The term quality of life (QoL) describes a multidimensional concept concerning the ability of the patients to carry out their daily activities [1,2,3]
Exclusion criteria were: systemic diseases (ASA III or higher) that contraindicate surgery or impair wound healing, patients with antibiotic premedication or under pharmacological treatment that might interfere with wound healing, patients with contraindications of the extraction under local anesthesia, patients on chronic NSAID therapy, and patients unable to understand the visual analogue scales or the questions related to the QOL
The pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures with the Greenhouse-Geisser correction if sphericity did not hold and post-hoc contrasts with the Bonferroni correction
Summary
The term quality of life (QoL) describes a multidimensional concept concerning the ability of the patients to carry out their daily activities [1,2,3]. The questionnaires to assess QoL are designed to measure the quality, the effectiveness and the efficiency of the treatment methods as well as physical, psychological and social consequences for patients with different health states [2]. Third molar extraction is still one of the most frequent interventions in oral surgery [2,3,4]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) and satisfaction of patients undergoing extraction of an upper third molar under local anesthesia. Conclusions: Upper third molar removal significantly affects the patient’s quality of life, during the first 2 days after extraction
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