Comparative assessment of patients’ quality of life depending on the wound condition during surgical treatment of obstructed eruption of the lower third molar

The operation of removing the lower third molar is a common surgical procedure in dental practice. An important aspect in this surgical intervention is the choice of the method of postoperative wound management – hermetic wound closure by suturing or open wound management under a tampon, which uses various wound dressings. Along with the clinical picture of the postoperative period, it is of particular interest to assess the quality of life of patients, including using specific questionnaires, in particular the Wound QoL-14 quality of life questionnaire, which covers physical discomfort, pain, functional limitations, emotional state and social adaptation. The aim of the study was to conduct a comparative assessment of the quality of life of patients depending on the condition of the wound in the postoperative period during surgical treatment of difficult eruption of the third lower molar and open wound management using various wound dressings. Materials and methods. The study included 120 patients who underwent surgery for complex removal of the lower third molar. The patients were divided into four groups of 30 people, depending on the method of postoperative wound management. Then, a comparative assessment of the quality of life in the postoperative period was performed using the WoundQoL-14 questionnaire on days 7 and 14. Results and discussion. In the postoperative period, patients of group 1 using iodoform turunda showed higher values of the global quality of life score, as well as indicators of the «Body» and «Psyche» domains on days 7 and 14 (p < 0.05). According to the criterion of «Life», the differences between the groups were revealed only on the 14th day. The data obtained indicate a more pronounced and prolonged effect of somatic and psychoemotional factors in group 1 patients, which is probably due to the peculiarities of postoperative care and the wound dressing itself. Conclusions. The analysis of the quality of life of patients after complex removal of the lower third molar revealed statistically significant differences between the groups according to the global score and individual criteria of the questionnaire. The most pronounced changes were observed in group 1 patients on the 7th and 14th days of the postoperative period. The data obtained indicate the influence of the chosen method of postoperative wound management using iodoform turunda on the dynamics of patients’ quality of life.

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