Risk Factors of Complications of 3^rd Molar Surgery

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between the type of impaction of wisdom teeth and the incidence of post-operative complications of surgical removal of impacted third molars.
Methods: A retrospective study of 210 patients, who has had one or more of their impacted 3^rd molars removed at the Department of Oral Surgery in Charles Clifford Dental Hospital was done by reviewing casenotes to collect the incidence of post-operative complications and comparing them to the type of impaction identified on plain film radiographs. The information was collected from patients attending the hospital from the period February 2016 to June 2016.
Results: There was no significant difference between the type of impaction and the incidence of post-operative complications, (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA p ≥ 0.12). Alveolar osteitis (dry socket) was the most common post-operative complication (77.7%), with females and smokers at a higher risk compared to male and non-smokers. Surgical difficulty score of all four types of impacted wisdom (mesioangular, horizontal , vertical and distoangular) had no significant effect on the incidence of post-operative complications
Conclusions: This retrospective study suggests that there is no relationship between the frequency of post-operative complications and the type of impaction of third molars.