Chlorhexidine Gel Versus Alvogyl Following Surgical Extraction of Impacted Mandibular Third Molar

Background: One of the most frequent surgical operations in dentistry is the surgical extraction of the impacted mandibular third molar, which is accompanied by a sequelae of swelling, trismus, and pain. Various techniques have been employed to either prevent or reduce these postoperative outcomes. Aim of the study: The study was meant to compare the effects of 0.2% chlorhexidine gel and Alvogyl paste on the reduction of the inflammatory reaction caused by the surgical extraction of the impacted mandibular third molar, which includes pain, facial swelling, and trismus. Materials and Methods: This randomized control study was conducted from February 2022 to September 2022 on (51) patients, (23) male and (28) female, aged (18-39) years, who presented with impacted mandibular third molar. The participants were randomly allocated into three groups, 17 patients received Alvogyl paste (G1), 17 patients received 0.2% Chlorhexidine gel (Periokin) (G2), and 17 patients received nothing upon surgery (G3). The mouth opening and facial measurements were assessed preoperatively as a baseline reference and on the 2nd and 7th postoperative days. pain was assessed daily using a numerical rating scale (NRS) from the first day to the seventh day following surgery. Results: Regarding the mouth opening, there was no statistically significant difference among the three groups in the degree of trismus on the second and seventh postoperative days (P ≥ 0.05). In regards to postoperative facial edema and pain, there was a statistically significant difference among all groups (P \< 0.05), however, there was no statistically significant difference between the two study groups. Conclusion: This study showed that Alvogyl paste and 0.2% Chlorhexidine bioadhesive gel significantly reduce postoperative pain and facial swelling with no significant effect on trismus following impacted mandibular third molar surgical extraction.