Comparison of Oral Malodor Before and After the Extraction of Impacted Mandibular Third Molar

Methods: A prospective cohort study design was used in which 38 patients seen in Daejin Medical Center in South Korea for the extraction of impacted mandibular third molar were followed. Oral malodor in these subjects were assessed in three intervals relative to third molar extraction -before, 1 day after, 7 days after. Assessment was made by volatile sulfur compounds(VSC) level with a RH-17 Series Halimeter¢ç. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. The impacts of scaling and gender on the oral malodor were also analyzed.

Results: VSC level decreased after 1 day by 11.5%. However these levels increased after 7 days by 6%. Previous scaling was helpful in reducing VSC level by 5.5%, whereas it increased by 18% among patients without scaling history. VSC level was reduced by 17% among women. In contrast, men showed 35.4% increase of VSC levels. However, the effects of time interval (p>0.05), gender (p=0.836), and scaling (p=0.7929) on the VSC level were not statistically significant(alpha=0.05).

Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, there is no statistically significant change of oral malodor(VSC) after the extraction of impacted mandibular third molar.