Postoperative pain and discomfort with and without periodontal dressing in conjunction with 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash after apically positioned flap procedure.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient postoperative pain experience and discomfort with and without the use of a periodontal dressing in combination with a 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash after internal bevelled, full thickness, apically positioned flap procedure. Twenty-four patients requiring comparable bilateral flap procedures were selected. Using a split-mouth design, one site received a periodontal dressing while the other site did not. A 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash (10 ml for 1 minute twice daily) was prescribed postoperatively for all patients. Pain assessment was made according to a structured, categorized scale (0 = no pain; 1 = mild pain; 2 = moderate pain; and 3 = severe pain). Analgesic drug consumption was recorded during the first postoperative week. After at least a one-month period, the second flap procedure was performed using the alternate postoperative treatment. At the conclusion of the trial, a self-administered questionnaire on postoperative experience was administered. Results indicated a similar trend for mean pain scores as assessed by patients for both dressed and undressed sides during the 7-day postoperative period. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between treatment groups with respect to frequency distribution of patients who did or did not take analgesics or the daily and total consumption of analgesic drops. Although patients with dressing frequently experienced eating difficulty, most stated a psychological feeling of protection and well-being with its use.