Effect of Submucosal Dexamethasone on Postoperative Pain, Swelling and Trismus After Periodontal Surgery: a Randomized Clinical Study

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of submucosal 8 mg (2 mL) dexamethasone (DEX) on postoperative pain, swelling, chewing efficiency, trismus, healing, and discomfort after periodontal flap surgery (PFS). Methods In this randomized controlled split-mouth study, 25 patients underwent PFS in the mandible, whereby postoperative, submucosal DEX was injected to the surgical field to the test group and submucosal normal saline was applied to the control group. Pain was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the 101-point numeric rate scale in the first 8 h after PFS and on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 7th days, whereas swelling, chewing efficiency, trismus, healing, discomfort and analgesic consumption were evaluated preoperatively on the 1st, 2nd and 7th days. Results In the intergroup evaluation, the VAS-7th hour value of the test group was lower than the control group(p < 0.05). On the 1st day, it was observed that there was less swelling and more chewing efficiency in the test group than in the control group(p < 0.05). When time-dependent changes were examined, the decrease in mouth opening due to trismus in the control group was greater than that in the test group on the 1st and the 2nd days compared to the preoperative period(p < 0.05). Finally, postoperative healing, discomfort, and analgesic consumption were similar between groups. Conclusion Within the limits of this study, the submucosal DEX may be an effective protocol in the management of pain, swelling, and trismus after PFS. Clinical relevance Our findings shed light on the possible effects of DEX after PFS. Trial registration This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06119893).