Comparison of Two Different Flap Design on Impacted Mandibular Third Molar Surgery: A Split Mouth Randomized Clinical Study

Objective: Different mucoperiosteal flap designs are suggested throughout the extraction of the impacted lower third molar to decrease postoperative complications. The aim of the current study compare triangular flap and the envelope flap related to pain, trismus and edema on mandibular third molar extraction. Material and Methods: The present prospective split mouth study included 24 patients. Impacted third molar on one side of jaw was be extracted with a triangular flap, other side was be extracted with an envelope flap. In order to evaluate the edema and trismus, measurements were be made on the operation day, day 1, day 3 and day 7 with caliper. Patients marked on a 100 mm scale on the 1st, 3rd and 7th days after the operation to evaluate the pain and difficulty chewing in the postoperative period. Results: One of 24 patients were excluded from the study because vasovagal syncope developed during the procedure, and the study was completed with 23 patients. There was no statistically significant difference between the triangular and envelope flap groups in terms of edema and pain (p>0.05) (p>0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between 2 groups in terms of pain measurements and difficulty chewing on the 1st day, 3rd day, 7th days (p>0.05) (p>0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, the current study observed that flap design had no effect on postoperative complications. According to the results of this study, flap design in the extraction of impacted wisdom teeth should be determined with the surgeon's preference.