Influence of oral hygiene measures on the development of alveolitis sicca dolorosa after surgical removal of mandibular third molars.

This study was carried out in order to investigate the prophylactic effect of plaque control on the development of alveolitis sicca dolorosa (ASD). Sixty patients took part in the investigation. The patients in the test group had their teeth polished 5 days preoperatively and then used a 0.2% aqueous solution of chlorhexidine digluconate as a mouth rinse twice a day before the operation and during the postoperative week. No special oral hygiene measures were taken in the control group. Compared with the control group, the patients in the test group had significantly less plaque on their teeth on the day of operation (P less than or equal to 0.001). One patient in the test group developed ASD, while there were five cases of ASD in the control group. The results indicated that plaque control may be a possible way to decrease the incidence of ASD.