Complications Following Surgical Removal of Impacted Third Molars: A Series of Sixty Cases
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dental College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Corresponding Author: Pal D, Doctus Journal of Dentistry.
Abstract
We reviewed sixty consecutive surgical removals of impacted mandibular third molars performed by trainees under supervision, recording complications at 24 hours, one week and one month. Alveolar osteitis occurred in 11.7% and transient lingual paraesthesia in 5.0%, with no permanent nerve deficit. Complication rate rose with operative time beyond 25 minutes and with distoangular impaction, but not with patient age in this cohort. Prophylactic antibiotics, given in 40% of cases at operator discretion, showed no association with reduced infection. The findings support case selection by impaction pattern for trainee lists and argue against routine antibiotic prophylaxis.
Keywords
Third Molar; Impaction; Alveolar Osteitis; Lingual Nerve; Antibiotic Prophylaxis; Oral Surgery
How to Cite
Pal D and Sen B. “Complications Following Surgical Removal of Impacted Third Molars: A Series of Sixty Cases”. Doctus Journal of Dentistry 1.2 (2026): 21-32.
Copyright and Licence
© 2026 Pal D. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.