39685
document
Mastication and late mandibular fracture after surgery of impacted third molars associated with no gross pathology . PURPOSE This study was undertaken with the null hypothesis that in patients , fully denate or with 1 or 2 teeth missing and older than 25 years , mastication does not affect late mandibular fracture after surgical removal of impacted third molars ( M3s ) associated with no gross pathology . MATERIALS AND METHODS Five hundred sixty patients , fully dentate or with 1 or 2 teeth missing and older than 25 years who had no gross pathology associated with their impacted lower M3s , were recruited in this study . They were operated on under local anesthesia using a standard technique and randomly assigned into 2 groups for nonroutine ( NR group ) and routine ( R group ) postoperative instructions . In the NR group , patients were postoperatively educated in the possibility of mandibular fracture and were given an emphasis on the necessity of limiting mastication to a soft diet for 4 weeks . In the R group , patients were given no such education or emphasis . Patients were followed up for 2 months , and data concerning patients ' age and gender ; tooth position , angulation , and depth ; date and site of surgery ; and occurrence of late mandibular fracture were recorded and statistically analyzed . A value of P less than .05 was considered statistically significant . RESULTS In no patient group was there a late mandibular fracture recorded . All patients completed the follow-up period , and most of the R group patients had normal eating habits 10 to 14 days after surgery . In no patient group was there a statistically significant difference in relation to gender ( P = .735 ) , site of surgery ( P = .552 ) , class horizontal space available ( P = .427 ) , class highest portion of the M3 crown ( P = .424 ) , angulations of the teeth ( P = .925 ) , and severity of impaction ( P = .445 ) . CONCLUSIONS In patients , fully dentate or with 1 or 2 teeth missing and older than 25 years who have no jawbone atrophy and no systemic problems that may impair bone strength , mastication seems not to affect late mandibular fracture after surgical removal of impacted M3s associated with no gross pathology . The remote possible risk of the late fracture shown in our patients indicates the need for no special precautions .
39686
Intervention_Surgical
surgery
39687
Intervention_Surgical
surgical removal
39688
Intervention_Surgical
operated
39689
Intervention_Pharmacological
local anesthesia
39690
Intervention_Surgical
surgery
39691
Outcome_Physical
mandibular fracture
39692
Outcome_Physical
mandibular fracture
39693
Outcome_Physical
limiting mastication
39694
Outcome_Physical
late mandibular fracture
39695
Outcome_Physical
severity of impaction
39696
Outcome_Physical
impair bone strength
39697
Outcome_Physical
late mandibular fracture
39698
Outcome_Physical
late fracture