The Effectiveness of Metronidazole Gel in Prevention of Pain and Dry Socket

Impacted third molar surgeries are common in dental settings. Post-operation complications including pain and dry socket are also common. Reducing these complications is one of the necessities in oral surgeries. Although a few studies have found prophylactic metronidazole as an effective means of preventing dry socket, in most of these studies interventional factors have not been controlled properly. Therefore, the present study was aimed at evaluating the effect of metronidazole on prevention of pain and dry socket after controlling the interventional factors. A clinical trial was conducted in double-blinded manner on 42 patients with two mandibular impacted third molars. In each subject, both third molar teeth in mandible were selected, one as control. In case group, metronidazole gel (25%) was placed in the socket after tooth extraction. All operations were carried out by one oral surgeon under same circumstances. Demographic data, and pain and dry socket were evaluated by clinical examination and completing questionnaires 4 days after surgery. The interval between two surgeries was at least one month. The data were statistically analyzed by SPSS and Fisher’s exact test. Four days following surgery, 3 subjects in the case group (3.6%) and 5 subjects in the control group (6%) experienced dry socket. There was no statistically significant difference between the cases and controls (P=0.72). Metronidazole gel (25%) placement in the socket is not efficient in reducing complications after surgical removal of third molars.