Impact of 3D Intraoral Scanning on Postsurgical Evaluation of Mandibular Third Molar Surgery

The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of piezoelectric surgery and traditional rotating device in reducing perioperative sequelae after impacted mandibular third molar surgery. Fifty-six patients who needed surgical extraction of an impacted mandibular third molar were selected for the study. All subjects were randomly allocated to receive one of the following surgical treatments piezoelectric surgery (n = 28), traditional surgery with rotating device (n = 28). The primary outcome was postoperative pain, evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) score at baseline, 1, 2, 5, 7, 10 and 14 and 28 days following surgery. The secondary outcomes chosen were changes in postoperative swelling and maximum mouth opening values compared to preoperative ones.

Inclusion criteria

• aged between 18 and 32 years;
• good general health;
• the presence of one impacted third molar in the mandible with a class II position, type B impaction;
• absence of pericoronitis or signs of inflammation during the last 30 days. Panoramic radiographs were used to determine tooth position.

Exclusion criteria

• the presence of any systemic disease;
• consumption of oral contraceptives or other medications;
• consumption of any immunosuppressive or anti-inflammatory drugs during the 3 months prior to the study;
• status of pregnancy or lactation;
• previous history of excessive drinking;
• allergy to local anesthetic;
• smoking habit.