Statistical analysis
postoperative pain, trismus
SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS, TRISMUS, FACIAL EDEMA
The data obtained in the study were tabulated in the SPSS 23 program and submitted to the Shapiro-Wilk normality test. Quantitative data (duration of surgery, analgesic rescue medication, mouth opening, and facial edema measurements) were expressed as means and standard deviations, and in the Variable Analog Scale (VAS). Nominal qualitative data (radiographic and surgical characteristics) were expressed in absolute and relative frequencies.The Paired t-test and Wilcoxon test were used to determine statistical significance when comparing paired means between groups (laser vs. placebo), for the respective parametric and nonparametric data.Analysis between moments for the same group was performed using multiple comparisons of paired averages, in which the parametric data were compared using the paired ANOVA test/Bonferroni post-test, and nonparametric data were compared using the Friedman test/Wilcoxon test with a Bonferroni adjustment. The confidence interval adopted was 95% and the significance level was 5% for all tests. Values of p<0.05 were considered statistically significant.A descriptive analysis of gender and age variables was performed. Radiographic and surgical characteristics, occurrence of surgical complications, and ingestion of rescue analgesic medication were all evaluated using the McNemar test. A researcher uninvolved in the data collection or surgical procedures performed statistical analysis blindly. Thus, we have the surgeon, patients, and statistician blinded to the LASER and PLACEBO groups, characterizing a triple-blind study. The stated hypotheses were:H1: Laser is worse than placebo in reducing postoperative pain, trismus, and rescue medication;H2: Laser is equal to placebo in reducing postoperative pain, trismus, and rescue medication;