Conventional Rotary versus Piezoelectric Techniques for Extraction of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars; Comparison of the Duration of Surgery and Postoperative Pain

Objective: Comparison of piezoelectric surgery and conventional rotary procedures to remove impacted mandibular 3rd molars with respect to average surgical time and post-operative pain. Materials and Methods: Seventy patients with mesioangular impacted mandibular third molars were included in this randomized clinical trial. Patients were divided into two groups i.e., Group A: the control (conventional) group (n = 35), in which the third molar was extracted by using a slow-speed handpiece, and Group B: an experimental (piezoelectric) group (n = 35), in which the third molar was extracted by piezosurgery. The clinical parameters were evaluated by a self-reported questionnaire. The procedural time was noted in both groups and pain level was assessed at 1st and 7th post-operative days using a VisualAnalogue Scale. Results: The average age of the study subjects are 30.60±7.39 years, whereas gender distribution was 20 (28.6%) males and 50 (71.4%) females. The mean duration of surgery was significantly lower in Group A as compared to Group B (36.5±4.44 vs. 50.6±7.43, p<0.001). The mean pain score was significantly higher in Group A as compared to Group B on 1st postoperative day (5.80±0.86 vs 4.40±0.81, p<0.001) and 7th postoperative day (3.68±0.79 vs 3.28±0.62, p=0.022), respectively. Conclusion: Piezoelectric surgery reduces postoperative pain significantly therefore it is more reliable, effective, and valuable than traditional rotary systems for surgically removing impacted mandibular third molars.