Oxytetracycline-hydrocortisone ointment reduces the occurrence of both dry socket and post-extraction pain after third molar extraction: An observational study.

Abstract

ObjectivesDry socket and post-extraction pain are typical discomforts experienced by patients after tooth extraction. In this study, we inserted gauze coated with oxytetracycline-hydrocortisone ointment into the extraction socket immediately after lower third molar extraction and then evaluated the occurrence of dry socket and post-extraction pain compared with gauze non-insertion.MethodsThis retrospective study was carried out on patients undergoing lower third molar extraction in the Department of Oral Surgery at Shizuoka Prefectural General Hospital in Shizuoka, Japan from November 2018 to October 2019. A comparison was carried out between a gauze-insertion group and a non-insertion group. The occurrence versus non-occurrence of dry socket was determined, and degree of pain was assessed based on a visual analogue scale (VAS) and on patients reporting the number of loxoprofen sodium oral analgesic tablets (60mg/tablet) that they had taken. Dry socket was defined as patient-reported spontaneous pain that did not subside 1 to 3 days postoperatively. Spontaneous post-extraction pain was recorded four times: on the operative day, on the first postoperative day (POD1), on POD3, and during suture removal (POD7).ResultsThe occurrence of dry socket was lower in the gauze-insertion group than in the non-insertion group (0.9%, 2/215 vs. 19.6%, 9/46, pConclusions and clinical relevanceInserting gauze coated with oxytetracycline-hydrocortisone ointment into the extraction socket immediately after third molar extraction reduces the occurrence of both dry socket and post-extraction pain.