title: Patients' perceptions of recovery after exposure of impacted teeth with a closed-eruption technique.
abstract: This prospective study evaluated patients' perceptions of recovery after surgical exposure of impacted teeth treated with a closed-eruption surgical-orthodontic technique. Twenty-nine patients (16 female, 13 male; mean age, 16 +/- 2.8 years) were given a health-related quality of life questionnaire to be completed each postoperative day (POD) for 7 days. The questionnaire was designed to assess the patient's perception of recovery: pain, oral function, general activity, and other parameters. The impact of possible predictor variables, such as age, sex, length of surgical procedure, tooth location, height of impaction, and need for bone removal were assessed. Severe pain (27.6%, 13.8%, 3.4%) and consumption of analgesics (76%, 41%, 17%) declined gradually over the first 3 PODs. Improvement in oral function and other symptoms was evident by PODs 3 and 4. Absence from school outweighed interference in daily activity by 3 days (POD 6 vs POD 3). Buccolingual tooth location was the most significant predictor variable, with results showing a delayed recovery for patients with buccally impacted teeth. The most striking difference was reported with regard to swelling (P <.0001), followed by mouth opening (P =.008) and speech (P =.05). When the surgical procedure lasted 30 minutes or longer, there was prolonged recovery from pain (P =.01). This study provides information to patients and clinicians on postoperative recovery after surgical exposure of impacted teeth by the closed-eruption surgical-orthodontic technique.
authors.affiliation: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 6 Weitzman Street, Tel Aviv, Israel 64239. gavrielc@tasmc.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Gavriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chaushu
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Rephael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zeltser
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Branski
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaushu
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D003289:Convalescence / Q000523:psychology*; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012737:Sex Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*