This study evaluated patient's perception of recovery following surgical removal of mandibular third molars (SRM3s) including analyze of potential risk factors associated with impaired convalescent. Patient related parameters combined with preoperative questionnaires including Modified Dental Anxiety Scale, Oral Health Impact Profile-14, and Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth index were correlated with questionnaires assessing pain, swelling, trismus, sick leave, social and working isolation, physical appearance, eating and speaking ability, diet variations, sleep impairment, impaired sensation of the lip, chin, and tongue, one month following SRM3s. Totally, 412 patients (223 females, 189 males) with mean age of 29.4 years were included. Treatment satisfaction and willingness to undergo similar surgery were reported by 92% and 95%, although 21% reported that the surgery and postoperative period had been worse than expected. Mean days with pain, sick leave, and swelling were 3.6, 2.1, and 3.6, respectively. Preoperative symptoms, dental anxiety level, and prolonged surgical time were associated with increased pain and swelling (P < 0.05). Pell and Gregory classification (I-IIIC) were associated with impaired sensation of the lower lip and chin (P < 0.05). Consequently, results from this study improve the surgeon's ability to predict parameters that predisposed to impaired recovery and neurosensory disturbances following SRM3s.

Clinical Department of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery University Medical Centre Ljubljana Slovenia

Clinical Department of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery University Medical Centre Ljubljana Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia

Department of Dentistry Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove Charles University and University Hospital Hradec Kralove 500 05 Hradec Kralove Czech Republic

Department of Maxillofacial Surgery Institute of Dentistry University of Tartu L Puusepa 8 Tartu 51014 Estonia

Department of Oral and Maxillo Facial Surgery University of Oradea Oradea Romania

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Aalborg University Hospital Aalborg Denmark

Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Medical School University of Pécs Pécs Hungary

Department of Oral Surgery Faculty of Dental Medicine Medical University of Plovdiv Bulgaria

Division of Dentistry Vercelli Hospital Vercelli Italy

Division of Oral and Maxillo Facial Surgery Novara University Hospital Novara Italy

Institute of Maxillofacial Surgery Teknon Medical Center Barcelona Spain

School of Dental Medicine University of Belgrade Serbia

University Hospital St Georgi Clinic of Maxillofacial Surgery Plovdiv Bulgaria

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