ABSTRACT
To determine the effects of pre-operative submucosal dexamethasone injection on postoperative swelling and trismus following surgical extraction of mandibular third molar. Randomized controlled trial. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry [AFID], Rawalpindi, from October 2009 to March 2010. A total of 100 patients aged 18 - 40 years with good periodontal health and mesioangular impaction were divided in two treatment groups [50 in each group]. Group-A received prophylactic 4 mg submucosal dexamethasone intraoral injection and Group-B acted as control group. Facial swelling and trismus were assessed at baseline, 2nd and 7th postoperative days. Data was analyzed using SPSS-10. There were 35 [70%] males and 15 [30%] females in group-A and 34 [68%] males and 16 [32%] females in group-B. Surgical time ranged from 30 - 50 minutes [mean = 40.62 +/- 4.886 minutes] for group-A and 33 - 50 minutes [mean = 42.12 +/- 4.543 minutes] for group-B. Administration of dexamethasone had statistically significant effect in reduction of swelling and trismus on second postoperative day [p < 0.05] in group-A. Pre-operative 4 mg submucosal dexamethasone injection was significantly effective in reduction of postoperative swelling and trismus