Comparison of Complications of Extraction among Partially Impacted Mandibular Third Molars with or without a Buccal Flap

Objective: To compare the complications of extraction of partially impacted mandibular third molars with or without a buccal flap.

Materials And Methods: A comparative cohort study was performed at Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Dentistry, Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad from September 2020 to March 2021. Sixty-two patients of either gender, having age 15-50 years and recommended for extraction of partially impacted mandibular third molars were selected by non-probability consecutive sampling technique and distributed into flapless group (31 patients) and buccal flap group (31 patients). Patients were treated with standard procedures of flapless and buccal flap, operating time was noted and follow up was done at 1st day, 2nd day post-operatively for pain, swelling, trismus, whereas periodontal pocket distal to second molar was measured at 1 month and 3 months follow up interval.

Results: In flapless and buccal flap group male patients were 17 (54.8%) and 18 (58.1%) and female patients were 14 (45.2%) and 13 (41.9%) respectively with mean age of 27.4 ± 9.6 and 26.7 ± 8.4 years. Statistically significant difference was obtained in flapless and buccal flap groups in terms of operative time, pain score, swelling score, pocket depth and trismus.

Conclusion: Flapless technique is more effective in conditions of operative time and post-operative complications. So, flapless technique can be used frequently for elimination of incompletely impacted mandibular third molars.