How frequent are postoperative complications after an impacted mandibular third molar extraction?

Impacted teeth fail to fully erupt in the oral cavity mainly as a result of reduced space in the dental arch. Several studies have shown the mandibular third molar to be the most commonly impacted tooth, with a prevalence reaching 77% (1), followed by the maxillary third molar. An impacted mandibular third molar can cause the development of an infection, commonly called pericoronitis, in the follicular sac of the impacted third molar; this infection can be seen in a percentage as high as 64% (2) of patients with an impacted third molar, and can be quite painful for the patient. The usual therapy for treating an impacted tooth is its extraction, which can be called for not only for treating a tooth that has been the cause of an infection and can negatively affect nutrients intake (3), but also for maintaining the periodontal health of the second molar (4) or for orthodontic and prosthetic needs. Their extraction is particularly important in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (5). Their extraction is usually a uneventful surgical procedure, but in rare cases it may cause several complications, such as paresthesia of the lower lip or the development of a dry socket (6). These complications have a widely different reported rate. The aim of this study is to retrospectively highlight the prevalence of these events in our clinic.