A pilot study of postoperative pain felt after two implant surgery techniques: a randomized blinded prospective clinical study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate postoperative pain after successful implant surgery and compare pain experienced using conventional flap and flapless techniques.


METHODS
Between January 2007 and September 2012, consecutive patients with bilateral partially edentulous maxillae or mandibles were included in the study. Patients were randomly allocated to receive implants with an atraumatic flapless procedure or with a conventional flap procedure in a split-mouth design in a two-stage surgery. This randomized blinded prospective clinical study considered each patient as one unit. The data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney and chi-square tests.


RESULTS
One hundred eight implants were placed in 19 patients. Radiographic and clinical examination showed that all implants were successful. Postoperative pain was significantly more intense after surgery with the conventional flap technique than after surgery with the atraumatic flapless technique. Likewise, the inflammatory response was more intense with the flap technique.


CONCLUSIONS
Postoperative pain depends on the surgical technique used and is less intense with a flapless technique.
José María
JM
Parmigiani-Izquierdo
Arturo
A
Sánchez-Pérez
María Eugenia
ME
Cabaña-Muñoz
D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013524:Surgical Flaps