title: Thermography as a quantitative imaging method for assessing postoperative inflammation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess differences in skin temperature between the operated and control side of the face after mandibular third molar surgery using thermography.
  
  
  METHODS
  127 patients had 1 mandibular third molar removed. Before the surgery, standardized thermograms were taken of both sides of the patient's face using a Flir ThermaCam™ E320 (Precisions Teknik AB, Halmstad, Sweden). The imaging procedure was repeated 2 days and 7 days after surgery. A region of interest including the third molar region was marked on each image. The mean temperature within each region of interest was calculated. The difference between sides and over time were assessed using paired t-tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was found between the operated side and the control side either before or 7 days after surgery (p > 0.3). The temperature of the operated side (mean: 32.39 °C, range: 28.9-35.3 °C) was higher than that of the control side (mean: 32.06 °C, range: 28.5-35.0 °C) 2 days after surgery [0.33 °C, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.22-0.44 °C, p < 0.001]. No significant difference was found between the pre-operative and the 7-day post-operative temperature (p > 0.1). After 2 days, the operated side was not significantly different from the temperature pre-operatively (p = 0.12), whereas the control side had a lower temperature (0.57 °C, 95% CI: 0.29-0.86 °C, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thermography seems useful for quantitative assessment of inflammation between the intervention side and the control side after surgical removal of mandibular third molars. However, thermography cannot be used to assess absolute temperature changes due to normal variations in skin temperature over time.
authors: Department of Oral Radiology, Aarhus School of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Denmark. jennifer.heather.christensen@odontologi.au.dk
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Christensen
authors: L H
authors: LH
authors: Matzen
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Vaeth
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Schou
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Wenzel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000601:surgery