Efficacy of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid in preventing infectious and inflammatory complications following impacted mandibular third molar extraction. Metronidazole and dry socket: prophylactic use in mandibular third molar removal complicated by non-acute pericoronitis. Role of antimicrobials in third molar surgery: prospective, double blind,randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study. Prophylaxis versus placebo treatment for infective and inflammatory complications of surgical third molar removal: a split-mouth, double-blind, controlled, clinical trial with amoxicillin (500 mg). Prophylactic use of phenoxymethylpenicillin and tinidazole in mandibular third molar surgery, a comparative placebo controlled clinical trial. Metronidazole for the prevention of dry socket after removal of partially impacted mandibular third molar: a randomised controlled trial. Does prophylactic administration of systemic antibiotics prevent postoperative inflammatory complications after third molar surgery? Prophylaxis versus pre-emptive treatment for infective and inflammatory complications of surgical third molar removal: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial with sustained release amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (1000/62.5 mg). Antibiotic prophylaxis in third molar surgery. Efficacy of amoxicillin treatment in preventing postoperative complications in patients undergoing third molar surgery: a prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled study. Metronidazole (Flagyl) and Arnica Montana in the prevention of post-surgical complications, a comparative placebo controlled clinical trial. Single-dose and multi-dose clindamycin therapy fails to demonstrate efficacy in preventing infectious and inflammatory complications in third molar surgery. Value of penicillin in the prevention of pain, swelling and trismus following the removal of ectopic mandibular third molars. A controlled clinical trial of prophylactic tinidazole for chemoprophylaxis in third molar surgery. Does metronidazole prevent alveolitis sicca dolorosa? A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. Effect of azidocillin, erythromycin, clindamycin and doxycycline on postoperative complications after surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. A comparison of the effect of phenoxymethylpenicillin and azidocillin on postoperative complications after surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars.
To find out whether the frequency of postoperative infectious and inflammatory complications (IC) in subjects treated with placebo (Pl) is greater than those treated with antibiotic (Ab) after extraction of an impacted mandibular third molar (M3). Our hypothesis is there are more IC in Pl than in Ab, with a maximum ratio difference of 0.067.
                A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial. The sample was derived from the population of subjects attending Cruces Hospital for evaluation and extraction of 1 M3 under local anesthesia. Patients were treated with postoperative placebo or amoxicillin/clavulanic acid 500/125 mg 3 times a day during 4 days. The outcome variable was infectious and inflammatory complications. Sex, age, smoking, molar depth, angulation, need for sectioning, ostectomy, and operation time were recorded. Analysis was by intention to treat, risk measures, and logistic regression.
                In 490 subjects (259 Ab and 231 Pl), the frequency of IC was 1.9% in the Ab and 12.9% in the Pl group (OR 7.6, 95%CI 2.9-19.9; P < .001). The number needed to treat was 10 (7-16). Unadjusted relative risk was 0.15 (0.06-0.38) (P < .001). Absolute reduction risk was 0.11(0.066-0.155)]. Therefore, the hypothesis cannot be rejected. Multivariate analysis shows treatment with antibiotic (OR = 8.66 (3.17-23.67); P < .001) and age (OR = 1.08 (1.00-1.16); P = .029) are the only variables to be included in the logistic regression model.
                Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid is efficacious in reducing the incidence of IC following third molar extraction but should not be prescribed in all cases. nan To test the efficacy of two dosing regimens of antimicrobial prophylaxis during the removal of impacted lower third molars.
                Double blind, prospective, placebo-controlled trial.
                Teaching hospital, India.
                151 patients aged 19-36 having impacted lower third molars removed.
                Random allocation into three groups: placebo (n= 34), metronidazole 1g orally, 1 hour preoperatively (n= 44), or metronidazole 400mg orally eight hourly for 5 days postoperatively (n= 47). Patients were recalled on the sixth postoperative day for assessment of pain scores on the second and sixth days, swelling, differences in mouth opening between preoperative and the sixth postoperative day, and the state of the wound.
                There were no significant differences in the outcome between the three groups (P= 0.09).
                Antimicrobial prophylaxis does not seem to reduce morbidity after removal of lower third molars.
                Copyright 2001 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. nan A clinical double-blind placebo controlled trial was carried out in 136 patients to test the value of the prophylactic use of phenoxymethylpenicillin and tinidazole in mandibular third molar surgery. The three patient groups were uniform with regard to the background data such as age and weight of the patients and the clinical status of the operated tooth, as well as to the observations made at surgery. No statistically significant differences were found between the study groups in the parameters used for evaluation. The results indicate that neither penicillin nor tinidazole have more effect on postoperative complications following operative extraction of wisdom teeth, than placebo tablets. We randomised 119 patients who had been referred for removal of partially impacted mandibular third molars to be given either metronidazole 1600 mg or placebo as a single dose 45 min before operation. Ten of the fifty-nine patients who were given metronidazole and 13 of the 60 given placebo developed dry sockets. Two variables were significantly associated with the development of a dry socket: pericoronitis and oral contraceptives. To estimate and compare the frequencies of inflammatory complications after third molar (M3) surgery in subjects receiving intravenous prophylactic antibiotics or saline placebo.
                Using a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial, the investigators enrolled a sample composed of subjects who required extraction of at least 1 impacted M3 and requested intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. The predictor variable was treatment group classified as active treatment (penicillin or clindamycin for penicillin-allergic subjects) or placebo (0.9% saline). Study medications were randomly assigned. Both surgeon and subject were blinded to treatment assignment. The medication was administered intravenously prior to any incision. The outcome variable was postoperative inflammatory complication classified as present or absent and included alveolar osteitis (AO) or surgical site infection (SSI). Other variables were demographic, anatomic, or operative. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed. Statistical significance was set at P < or = .05, single-tailed test of hypothesis.
                The sample was composed of 118 subjects (n = 59 per study group). In the active treatment group, there were no postoperative inflammatory complications. In the placebo group, 5 subjects (8.5%) were diagnosed with SSI, (P = .03). No subject met the case definition for AO. All SSIs were associated with the removal of partial bony or full bony impacted mandibular M3s.
                In the setting of third molar removal, these results suggest that the use of intravenous antibiotics administered prophylactically decrease the frequency of SSIs. The authors cannot comment on the efficacy of intravenous antibiotics in comparison to other antibacterial treatment regimens, eg chlorhexidine mouthrinse or intrasocket antibiotics. The most common complications after surgical extraction of the third mandibular molar are trismus, oedema or swelling, local pain, dysphagia and infection. The aim of this comparative, double-blind, randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the efficacy of two sustained release amoxicillin/clavulanate regimens in the reduction of infection after third molar extractive surgery. A total of 225 patients were randomized into three equal groups: placebo, prophylaxis with single pre-surgical dose of two tablets amoxicillin/clavulanate 1000/62.5 mg, and pre-emptive post-surgery therapy with two tablets amoxicillin/clavulanate 1000/62.5 mg BID for 5 days. A higher rate of infection (P=0.006) was found among patients receiving placebo (16%) than those receiving single-dose prophylaxis (5.3%) or 5-day pre-emptive therapy (2.7%). A relationship between both the duration (13.8% for long versus 7.4% for medium versus 1.6% for short) and difficulty (12.7% with ostectomy versus 3.5% without ostectomy; P=0.011) of surgical procedure and incidence of subsequent infection was also observed. Both prophylactic and therapeutic regimens versus placebo achieved greater reduction of pain after surgery on day 3 (P=0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed a risk of infection of 24%, 9% and 4% for ostectomy with placebo, prophylaxis and pre-emptive treatment, respectively, whereas it was 7%, 2% and 1% if ostectomy was not performed. Pre-emptive therapy with the oral sustained release amoxicillin/clavulanate formulation reduced the rate of subsequent infection in patients undergoing ostectomy. Prophylaxis was beneficial in simpler procedures and may be indicated in cases where ostectomy is not performed. To evaluate the role of prophylactic antibiotics, if any, in the removal of mandibular impacted third molars.
                A total of 89 patients were randomly allocated in 3 groups (group 1, placebo; group 2, amoxicillin 1 g orally 1 h before surgery; and group 3, metronidazole 800 mg orally 1 h before surgery).
                Of the 89 patients, 5 had surgical wound infection (3 [10.33%] in group 1, 2 [6.45%] in group 2, and none [0%] in group 3), leading to an overall infection rate of 5.61%. There was no statistically significant difference found in surgical wound infection between the groups.
                Our study failed to show any advantage in the routine use of prophylactic antibiotics because we found no statistically significant difference between the groups. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the occurrence of postoperative complications in patients receiving either pre- or postoperative amoxicillin versus placebo after third molar surgery.
                A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed in 123 patients undergoing third molar surgery. The patients were randomized to 3 groups, according to the treatment regimen: preoperative amoxicillin, postoperative amoxicillin, and placebo. Both surgeon and patients were unaware of the treatment assignment. The clinical outcomes, including pain, wound infection, trismus, temperature, intra- and extraoral swelling, dysphagia, side effects, and postoperative complications, were assessed.
                Statistically significant differences were found in the incidence of pain, wound infection, temperature, trismus, and dysphagia between the groups receiving amoxicillin versus placebo. Suture dehiscence and infection of 5 sockets were only found in the placebo group. No cases of alveolitis were observed in the 3 groups studied. No significant differences in swelling were found among the different groups. No statistically significant differences in side effects were found between the groups. The efficacy was greatest in the group receiving postoperative amoxicillin compared with the group receiving a prophylactic preoperative dose.
                Amoxicillin administered pre- or postoperatively demonstrated greater efficacy than placebo in preventing postoperative complications in patients undergoing third molar surgery. The best results were obtained using the postoperative protocol.
                Copyright © 2011 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. A double blind trial, was designed, in which 118 patients undergoing the removal of impacted wisdom teeth were randomly divided into the following groups; 41 patients received Metronidazole, 39 patients received Arnica Montana, 38 patients received the placebo. Metronidazole was more effective in pain control than Arnica (p less than 0.001) and placebo (p less than 0.01). It prevented swelling better than Arnica (p less than 0.01) and placebo (p less than 0.05) and was more effective in promoting healing than Arnica (p less than 0.01) and placebo (p greater than 0.02). Arnica Montana appeared to give rise to greater pain than placebo (p less than 0.05) and caused more swelling than the placebo (p less than 0.01). The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of single- and multi-dose (5-day) clindamycin therapy for the prevention of inflammatory complications in patients undergoing lower third molar surgical extraction with bone removal. Patients who qualified for the prospective, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial were randomly divided into three groups: (1) single dose of oral clindamycin administered preoperatively (single-dose group); (2) clindamycin administered preoperatively with continued therapy for 5 days (5-day group); and (3) a placebo group. The following parameters were evaluated on the first, second and seventh days postsurgery: trismus, facial swelling, body temperature, lymphadenopathy, alveolar osteitis and subjective pain sensations. There were 86 patients (31 in the single-dose group, 28 in the 5-day group and 27 in the placebo group) enrolled in the study. There were no statistically significant differences in postoperative inflammatory complications in patients during the first and second days postsurgery. A statistically significant variation in body temperature was reported on the seventh day. Analysis of the postoperative analgesic intake did not show statistically significant differences between examined groups. Clindamycin applied in a single preoperative dose of 600 mg with or without subsequent 5-day therapy does not demonstrate efficacy in prophylaxis for postoperative inflammatory complications after third molar surgery. A double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study of the value of systemic penicillin in preventing pain, swelling and trismus following the removal of impacted mandibular third molars and indicates that penicillin may be used justifiably in the more difficult cases. nan The effect of a single preoperative dose of metronidazole in the prevention of alveolitis sicca dolorosa (ASD) after surgical removal of one impacted, non-infected mandibular third molar was investigated. A patient sample of 270 were given either 1000 mg of metronidazole or placebo at least 30 min before surgery. The preoperative recordings included gender, age, tooth to be removed, experience of surgeon, time of test medication, and duration of surgery. No difference was found between the metronidazole and placebo groups in the occurrence of ASD. The duration of surgery and the experience of the operating surgeons had no effect on the occurrence of ASD. The present study failed to demonstrate any preventive effect of a single dose of metronidazole on the development of ASD. Treatment of osteitis after surgical removal of the third molar of the mandible is still a clinical problem. A total of 140 patients undergoing operations for removal of an impacted third molar of the mandible, were included in a double-blind study. Placebo or antibiotics - azidocillin, erythromycin, clindamycin and doxycycline - were given to the patients preoperatively and for the following 7 days. The concentrations in serum, alveolar serum and mandibular bone were measured and the postoperative courses - pain, trismus, swelling and wound-healing - were recorded. No correlation was obtained between the antibiotic concentration and the postoperative complaints, except in the azidocillin group on day 2, in which fewer complaints were noticed in patients with high concentrations of the drug at the time of operations. The 80 patients in the antibiotic groups responded significantly better with respect to wound-healing than the 60 patients in the placebo groups. Only 15 operations lasted more than 15 min and the three of them which subsequently resulted in alveolitis were in the placebo groups. Antibiotics significantly reduced pain on day 7 postoperatively. In general, no statistically significant differences in trismus and swelling could be demonstrated between the patient groups. However, there was a significant difference between the placebo and doxycycline groups with respect to swelling (day 2 postoperative, P < 0.01; day 5 postoperative, P < 0.05). Thus systemically administered antibiotics offered only slight advantages in routine operations of impacted third mandibular molars, but could decrease the rate of infections after traumatic operations. Postoperative complications after surgical removal of mandibular third molars are still a clinical problem. Sixty patients undergoing operations for removal of an impacted third mandibular molar, were included in a double blind study. Phenoxymethylpenicillin 800 mg, azidocillin 750 mg, or placebo were given to the patients pre-operatively and then twice per day for the following seven days. The concentrations of phenoxymethylpenicillin and azidocillin in serum and alveolar serum were measured and the postoperative courses - pain, trismus, swelling and wound-healing - were recorded. The 40 patients in the antibiotic groups responded significantly better with respect to wound-healing than the 20 patients in the placebo group, and there were no differences between phenoxymethylpenicillin and azidocillin. Antibiotics significantly reduced pain on day 7 postoperatively. There were no differences between antibiotic groups and placebo with respect to trismus and swelling. When the dental alveolar serum concentrations of phenoxymethylpenicillin 3.0 microgram/ml and azidocillin 7.9 microgram/ml were related to their range of inhibitory concentrations for microorganisms isolated from orofacial infections, it was noticed that the two drugs achieved levels sufficient to inhibit most strains. The effect of phenoxymethylpenicillin and azidocillin on postoperative infections can be of value after traumatic oral surgery or after operations on patients especially susceptible to infections.
Although general dentists perform dental extractions because of severe dental caries or periodontal infection, there were no trials identified which evaluated the role of antibiotic prophylaxis in this group of patients in this setting. All of the trials included in this review included healthy patients undergoing extraction of impacted third molars, often performed by oral surgeons. There is evidence that prophylactic antibiotics reduce the risk of infection, dry socket and pain following third molar extraction and result in an increase in mild and transient adverse effects. It is unclear whether the evidence in this review is generalisable to those with concomitant illnesses or immunodeficiency, or those undergoing the extraction of teeth due to severe caries or periodontitis. However, patients at a higher risk of infection are more likely to benefit from prophylactic antibiotics, because infections in this group are likely to be more frequent, associated with complications and be more difficult to treat. Due to the increasing prevalence of bacteria which are resistant to treatment by currently available antibiotics, clinicians should consider carefully whether treating 12 healthy patients with antibiotics to prevent one infection is likely to do more harm than good.