Effect of the surgeon’s dominant hand on postoperative periodontal status of adjacent molars after removal of lower third molars

Publication date: Available online 27 December 2018

Source: Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Author(s): Hari Petsos, Jörg Korte, Peter Eickholz, Thomas Hoffmann, Raphael Borchard

Abstract

Purpose

Investigation of the effect of the surgeon's dominant hand and the side (right/left) of surgical removal of third molars in the mandible on probing pocket depths and probing attachment level on the adjacent second molars.

Methods

73 patients (46 women; 27 men; average age: 15.9 ± 1.9) with 146 asymptomatically submucosal (fully covered by oral mucosa) or impacted (completely enclosed by bone) lower third molars were included in this study and surgically removed by a right-handed surgeon. Probing pocket depths and probing attachment level (outcome variables), as well as the gingiva and plaque index (other variables) were documented preoperatively and six months after surgical removal. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed and the p value was set at 0.05.

Results

Mean probing pocket depths decreased by 0.69 mm on tooth 18 and by 0.64 mm on tooth 31 over the follow-up of 6 months. Tooth 18 gained mean attachment of 0.45 mm and tooth 31 of 0.40 mm, respectively. The side difference between these changes in probing pocket depths (p = 0.620) and probing attachment level (p = 0.545) were not significant. Gingival (p = 0.029) and plaque index (p = 0.007) deteriorated significantly on tooth 31 compared to tooth 18.

Conclusions

For a right-handed surgeon, the operated side had no influence on the changes in probing depth and attachment level on the adjacent second molars.

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